How to Play Chess for Beginners

How to Play Chess for Beginners Chess is perceived as a game of the intellectuals. Although chess is a tricky game for anybody to champion it but it is not that difficult to learn its basics. Let us try and get to learn the basics of the chess game meant for beginners.

The Pawn: The most important and basic piece in chess is the pawn. You can move the pawn one space forward as long as the space ahead is empty. However there are two exceptions to this rule. They are that if your pawn is in the second row and you haven’t moved it yet in the game, you can then move it to one or two spaces forward provided the spaces are empty. Incase you want your pawn to take a piece; there are two prerequisites for this. There has to be a piece either one space forward and one space on the right or else there has to be a piece on one space forward and one space on the left. This is the condition wherein the pawn can move diagonally forward up to one space and take the piece of the opponent. If your pawn makes it to the back row then you can upgrade it to any other piece but with the exception of the king. A queen is considered as the best piece that you would like the pawn to get upgraded to.
The Knight/Horse: This piece moves in an “L” shape like it moves two spaces in one particular direction and then moves one space in perpendicular direction. Its unique characteristic is that it can jump over other pieces and can take the piece of your opponent if it lands on it.
The Rook/Castle: It can move only in one direction on any given turn. It can also move any number of spaces up, down, left or right. It can take the opponent’s piece when it lands on one.
The Bishop: It is quite similar to rook in its moves and can move any number of spaces diagonally. But this is only done on any given turn. Similarly, it cannot jump over other pieces and can take the piece of the opponent by landing on it.
The Queen: It is mostly considered a combination of rook and bishop. You can move it any number of spaces in up, down, left, right or diagonal. It can take the opponent’s piece by landing on it. It is the most powerful piece in the game of chess.
The King: This is the piece which if taken by you makes you the winner and if taken by your opponent, makes you the loser of the game. Considered the most important piece in this game, it can move just one space in any given direction like up, down, left, right or Diagonal.
After having known about the movement of the different pieces, you will have to set up the chess board.
Each player has to take turns and can move only one piece at a time. If you are in a position where you can take over your opponent’s king in the next turn, you have to say “Check”. Thereafter the opponent has to move the king to a safer position where he is not threatened.
Incase you have moved in such a situation where you can “check” your opponent and he has no chance of moving his piece to a safer position, you have say “checkmate” and become the winner of the game.
Chess is a thinking game. Before playing your turn, you have to analyze your opponent’s response. Practice and you can surely master it.

Watch a video instruction on how to play chess for beginners