How to Play Chess

Thousands of years old and still enjoyed by millions around the world, chess offers players endless variety and challenges - so endless that a mathematician once calculated that there are more possible chess games than there are particles in the universe.

Things You'll Need

• Chess Sets
• Chess CD-ROM
• Chess Video Games

Instructions

Special Moves

1. Castle by moving your King two spaces in either horizontal direction and by moving the Rook nearest the King's new position to the opposite side of the King. You may only castle if your King and Rook have not yet moved, your King is not in check and your King will not pass through or land in a check position as a result of castling.

2. Capture a Pawn "en passant" when your opponent's Pawn makes an initial two-space move and lands next to one of your Pawns.

3. Move your Pawn diagonally forward to the space that your opponent's Pawn would have occupied if it had only moved one space. This captures your opponent's Pawn.

4. Make this capture immediately after the opposing pawn moves the initial two spaces. The en passant capture cannot be deferred to a later move.

Playing the Game

1. Decide who will play white and who will play black. The white player moves first.

2. Take turns making legal moves with one piece at a time.

3. Capture your opponent's pieces by legally moving one of your pieces onto a square occupied by one of your opponent's pieces.

4. Protect your King from capture by moving it out of danger, blocking it with other pieces or capturing would-be capturers with your pieces.

5. Place your opponent's King in check by positioning your pieces such that your opponent's King is in immediate danger of being captured.

6. Place your opponent's King in checkmate by positioning your pieces such that your opponent's King cannot avoid being captured. If you accomplish this, you win the game.

How Pieces Move

1. Place your Queen (usually a crowned piece shorter than the King) on one of the two center squares on the row closest to you. Place it on the square that matches the color you're playing (white square if you're playing white, black square if you're playing black).

2. Place your King (usually the tallest piece on the board, with a cross on top) on the center square next to the Queen's square.

3. Place one Rook (usually a piece in the shape of a castle tower) on each of the outermost squares on the row closest to you.

4. Place one Knight (usually a piece with a horse's head) next to each Rook.

5. Place one Bishop (usually a piece with a pointed tip) next to each Knight.

6. Check to see that the row closest to you is filled.

7. Fill the second row with your eight Pawns (the smallest man with the most numerous pieces).

8. Move a Pawn one or two squares directly forward if it has not yet moved. Move it just one space directly forward if it has moved previously. Move it forward to a diagonal, adjacent square to capture.

9. Move a Rook any number of spaces forward, backwards or to either side. Move in only one direction each turn.

10. Move a Bishop any number of spaces in any diagonal direction. Move in only one direction each turn.

11. Move a Knight in an "L"-shaped direction, The Knight moves two spaces in either a horizontal or vertical direction and then one space perpendicular to the previous two spaces, or one space horizontally or vertically and then two spaces perpendicular to the previous space.

12. Move a Queen any number of spaces in any horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction.

13. Move a King one space in any horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction. The King cannot move into "check" and must move out of check, if possible.

Tips & Warnings

• If a your Pawn makes it to your opponent's first row, it becomes any piece of your choice other than a King or a Pawn. Most people turn it into a Queen, which is the most versatile piece. In this way it is possible to have several Queens on the board at one time.

• These are the most common rules of Chess. Many other variations exist, including the three-dimensional chess popularized by the TV show "Star Trek."

• Play against opponents who are at your skill level while you're learning.

• In some games, players stagger their Pawns on the second and third rows, placing each Pawn on a square that matches their color.

• The Knight is the only piece that can "jump over" other pieces in its path. All other pieces must either capture or stop short of pieces in their paths.