The Rules of Chess
Learn everything you need to know to start playing the game of chess. How to set up a chessboard, how the pieces move, check, checkmate, castling and more - if you need to know how to play chess, start here.
A quick guide to the rules of chess, with links to more detailed information on chess rules.
A complete guide on how to play chess, including the basic rules of chess.
How to correctly place the board and pieces at the start of a chess game.
The first step towards playing chess is learning how each piece moves. Each of the six pieces moves differently, and this guide will help you understand how to use each one.
While many beginners may confuse them because they look similar at first glance, check, checkmate and stalemate are very different situations. It is important to be able to identify each and understand what they mean.
A quick guide to the chess rules that cause new players the most trouble: castling, promotion and en passant.
Tournament chess is governed by a myriad of rules and regulations which go far beyond the basic rules of chess. Some of the most important rules are detailed here.
