How to Play Chess
Learning how to play chess is simple, yet the gameplay is somewhat complicated. If playing against a person who takes his chess playing very seriously, the game can get technical and confusing. This Instructable will just cover the basics of gameplay
Please note that I am not responsible in any manner for injury or death from conflict of competitive opponents.
Please note that I am not responsible in any manner for injury or death from conflict of competitive opponents.
The Art of Chess.
Chess is a two player game that is played for recreational and competetive purposes. Each player has a set of characters all one color (usually black and white). Each player takes turns using strategy to overcome the enemies forces and destroy the King. If you lose your King, the game is over and you have lost. Try to defend your King, while trying to destroy the enemy King.
The Pieces.
In chess, there are six different units to send out to do your bidding. You have eight pawns, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, one Queen, and one King.
The locations of each unit will have to be told, because the picture of the board will not let me put notes on it. Each vertical line is marked by a letter a-h, and each horizontal is marked by a number 1-8.
The most basic, a pawn, can only move forwards one space at a time. However, the pawn kills an enemy that is one space diagonal of him, but cannot kill enemies that are diagonally lower than it. The pawn cannot go through pieces. The pawns are lined up on the horizontal line 2.
The rook can move up, down, left, and right an unlimited amount of spaces (staying on the board of course). They destroy a peice by landing on the space the enemy peice was before death. The rook cannot go through pieces. The two rooks are placed on A1 and H1.
The knight, or immaturely called the horse, is the only piece that can go through other units. It moves in a specific "L" shape on the board. It moves vertically two spaces, the horizontally one space, or two spaces horizontal, one vertical. The knight is the only unit that can go through, or jump, other units. The knights are placed on B1 and G1.
The bishop moves any number of spaces diagonally and stays on one color. Each team has a bishop that is stationed on the black sqares, and one that is on the white squares. The bishop destroys an enemy by landing on the enemy spot. The bishop cannot go through other pieces. The bishops are placed on spaces C1 and F1.
The Queen is probably your most useful offensive unit. The queen moves in any direction however many spaces you want. The Queen cannot go through other units. The Queen is placed on D1.
The King is your most important piece. He is purely defensive, and can move in any direct one space. If your King is dead, you lose. The King is placed on E1.
The locations of each unit will have to be told, because the picture of the board will not let me put notes on it. Each vertical line is marked by a letter a-h, and each horizontal is marked by a number 1-8.
The most basic, a pawn, can only move forwards one space at a time. However, the pawn kills an enemy that is one space diagonal of him, but cannot kill enemies that are diagonally lower than it. The pawn cannot go through pieces. The pawns are lined up on the horizontal line 2.
The rook can move up, down, left, and right an unlimited amount of spaces (staying on the board of course). They destroy a peice by landing on the space the enemy peice was before death. The rook cannot go through pieces. The two rooks are placed on A1 and H1.
The knight, or immaturely called the horse, is the only piece that can go through other units. It moves in a specific "L" shape on the board. It moves vertically two spaces, the horizontally one space, or two spaces horizontal, one vertical. The knight is the only unit that can go through, or jump, other units. The knights are placed on B1 and G1.
The bishop moves any number of spaces diagonally and stays on one color. Each team has a bishop that is stationed on the black sqares, and one that is on the white squares. The bishop destroys an enemy by landing on the enemy spot. The bishop cannot go through other pieces. The bishops are placed on spaces C1 and F1.
The Queen is probably your most useful offensive unit. The queen moves in any direction however many spaces you want. The Queen cannot go through other units. The Queen is placed on D1.
The King is your most important piece. He is purely defensive, and can move in any direct one space. If your King is dead, you lose. The King is placed on E1.
Rules
Now that you know where each player is and how it moves, we should move onto the rules.
Each player should pick a color, then decide who begins. Usually, though, white goes first. Each player takes turn moving one unit per turn. When an enemy unit is about to destroy your king on the next turn, they must call out,"Check." When there is nothing a player can do from defending his King from the check, the player loses and the opponent calls out, "Check-mate."
Now lets get down to a few specifics. One fancy move to save your King is called castling. Castling can only be used if one of your rooks and your King haven't moved at all during gameplay. You move your King as far as you can towards your rook (without going through pieces), and place your rook beside the King.
When you are going to move a pawn for the first time, you have the option to move him two spaces forward.
Also, if one of your pawns reaches the enemy's first row, you can upgrade that pawn to any other unit on the board (besides King). So you could have nine queens on the board at once!
Each player should pick a color, then decide who begins. Usually, though, white goes first. Each player takes turn moving one unit per turn. When an enemy unit is about to destroy your king on the next turn, they must call out,"Check." When there is nothing a player can do from defending his King from the check, the player loses and the opponent calls out, "Check-mate."
Now lets get down to a few specifics. One fancy move to save your King is called castling. Castling can only be used if one of your rooks and your King haven't moved at all during gameplay. You move your King as far as you can towards your rook (without going through pieces), and place your rook beside the King.
When you are going to move a pawn for the first time, you have the option to move him two spaces forward.
Also, if one of your pawns reaches the enemy's first row, you can upgrade that pawn to any other unit on the board (besides King). So you could have nine queens on the board at once!