Remember one thing first: chess is not about capturing every opposing piece. It is about leaving the enemy king with no escape. White moves first, and every move must account for both your king and your opponent's next threat.
How all six pieces move
Only the knight can jump. Every other piece is blocked by anything in its path. To capture, move onto the square occupied by an opposing piece and remove it from the board.
King
Moves one square in any direction and may never move onto an attacked square.
Queen
Moves along ranks, files, or diagonals, but cannot pass through another piece.
Rook
Moves in straight lines along ranks or files and is strongest on open lanes.
Bishop
Moves diagonally, so it remains on the same colour of square for the whole game.
Knight
Moves in an L shape and is the only piece that can jump over other pieces.
Pawn
Moves forward, captures diagonally, may advance two squares initially, and promotes on the last rank.
Check, checkmate, and stalemate
Your king is in check when an opposing piece could capture it on the next move. You cannot ignore check; you must remove the threat immediately.
- Capture the attacking piece: your king must be safe after the capture.
- Block the line of attack: this works only against a straight-line attack by a rook, bishop, or queen.
- Move the king: the king may move to an adjacent square that the opponent does not attack.
If none of these responses is legal, it is checkmate and the game ends. If a player has no legal move but the king is not in check, it is stalemate and the game is drawn.
Three special rules
Castling
The king moves two squares toward a rook, and that rook crosses to the square beside the king. Neither piece may have moved, the path must be clear, and the king cannot castle out of, through, or into check.
En passant
If an opposing pawn has just advanced two squares from its starting rank and landed beside yours, your pawn may capture it as though it had moved only one square. You must do so immediately.
Pawn promotion
A pawn reaching the farthest rank must become another piece. This board promotes it to a queen, the most common choice in practice games.
Start your first game
You do not need to memorize opening names. Play a few games at a gentle strength and turn “Can they check me?” and “Is this piece protected?” into habits before every move.
Questions
Why does White move first?
That is the standard rule of chess. You play White by default against the AI, but you can switch sides before starting a game.
Can I castle while my king is in check?
No. The king cannot castle out of check, cross an attacked square, or finish on an attacked square.
Can I capture another piece while my king is in check?
Only if that move also removes the check, such as by capturing the attacker or blocking its line.
Must a pawn become a queen on the last rank?
A pawn must promote. This board promotes it to a queen because the queen has the widest reach and is the usual choice in practice games.