Chess for Beginners

Every chess master was once a beginner.

How to Set Up the Board and Pieces
Basic rules of chess:

 White always starts

 One square – one piece

 Players shake hands before and after games.

Respect!
Players shake hands before and after games.

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The Board – the
battleground

White
on the
right!
The Pieces
It is useful to remember that each piece has 3 main
operations:

1. Starting position
2. Moving rules
3. Capture moves

If you can recall these 3 rules for each piece you’re on

the right track!
The Pawn – the foot soldier
The Pawn
 White pawns start on rank 2, black pawns on rank 7.

 Pawns can move only one space forward at any time

except for their first move when each pawn has the
choice of moving one or two spaces forward.

 Pawns can capture other pieces by moving one

space diagonally forward to the left or right.
*Chess Toss*
To decide colours of each player
1. Place a black and white piece behind your back
2. Mix pieces up
3. Keeping the pieces covered by your fists, show to
opponent (opponent cannot see pieces)
4. Opponent chooses a fist and plays with revealed
colour

 When colours are decided, white always moves first.

The Pawn Game

First player to
get ONE pawn
to the other
side wins.
The Pawn Game
You win the game:
a) if your opponent gives up; or
b) if you are the first to capture all your opponent's pawns; or
c) if you are the first to reach the last rank (i.e. your opponent's first rank) with one
of your pawns; or
d) if it is your opponent's turn to move but all her pawns are blocked and do not
have any moves, while you yourself can make at least one move.

The game is a draw:

a) if the two players agree to call it a draw; or
b) if both sides pawns are blocked up so that neither side can make any moves.

Other rules:
a) If you touch one of your own men when it is your turn to move, you must move it.
b) If you touch one of your opponent's men, you must capture it if you can.
c) Once you make a move, you cannot change it so think carefully.
*Touch Move Rule*
 If a player touches one of their own pieces they must
move that piece as long as it is a legal move.

 If a player touches an opponent’s piece, they must

capture that piece.

 A player who wishes to touch a piece only to adjust

it on the board must first announce the intention,
usually by saying “adjust”.
The Rook – the catapult
The Rook
 The Rooks begin on the extreme corners of the
board.

 The rook moves horizontally and vertically any

number of squares, forwards or backwards.

 A Rook cannot move through or jump pieces but can

capture opposition pieces in its way (but only one at
a time!).
Rook Challenge

First player to
get ONE pawn
to the other
side wins.
Rook Challenge
 8 white pawns v’s one black rook
 Chess toss for colour
 White moves first as always
 White or black wins if it gets one of its pawns to the

other side of the board

 Switch sides after first game
 Incorporate time or remove pawns to differentiate
The Knight – the horseman
The Knight
 The knights start next to the rooks.

 The knight moves using “hippoty, hippoty, hop”

 The knight moves in an L shape in any direction. So it can move

2 squares sideways (2 hippoties) and one square up or down (1
hop) or one square sideways and 2 squares up or down.

 Just like a real horse, the knight can jump other pieces to get
where it wants to go.

 The knight only captures on it’s finishing square (hop square)

The Knight
Interesting Knight Fact
 If a knight starts on a light coloured square it will
always finish on a dark coloured square (after
completing it’s L shape move). Similarly if it starts
on a dark coloured square it will finish on a light
coloured square.

 Try it out!
Stuck in the Mud Pawns
None of the
pawns can move
but they can be
captured.

First player to
capture the
opponent’s
pawns will win.

Be careful not to
lose your knights!
The Bishop – the sniper
The Bishop
 The bishop begins next to the knight

 The bishop moves diagonally any number of spaces,

forwards or backwards

 Bishops will only ever move on their starting colour

 The bishop can be blocked by other pieces – the

bishop cannot jump over other pieces
Bishops Rule! White wins if it
gets one pawn
to the other
side of the
board
Black wins if it
captures all
white pieces or
stops it
reaching the
other side.
Chess Without Royalty

First player to
capture one
opposition
bishop wins.
The Queen – the all
powerful!
The Queen
 The queen starts next on its own colour (white – D1, black –
D8)

 The queen is the most powerful piece on the board.

 She can move straight or diagonally any number of squares.

 The queen cannot jump over other pieces (only the knight can
jump other pieces).

 The queen is like two other pieces combined. What are

these two pieces?
Team v’s Queen White wins if it
gets one pawn
to the other
side of the
board
Black wins if it
captures all
white pieces or
stops it
reaching the
other side.
The King – the lazy leader
The King
 The king starts next to the queen.

 It is the most important piece on the chessboard!

 The king can move one space in any direction.

 The king can never move onto a square that is being attacked (the
king can never move into check).

 The king can capture other pieces.

 The kings don’t like each other and can never stand next to one
another.
The Hungry (Egocentric) Kings
A 2 player game.

Place two different

sets of counters in
the middle two rows
as shown. Each king
is assigned a colour
counter to collect.

First to collect their

8 counters is the
winner.
Game of Thrones
A 2 player game.

Get your king to

your opponent’s
King starting place.

Example: black
must get King from
e8 to e1

Discuss: is it a fair
game? Why not?
King’s Escort
White wins if it
gets one pawn
to the other
side of the
board

Black wins if it
gets the King to
the other side
safely.
Indoor Football
Pawns as
players, Kings
as goalkeepers.

If you get a
pawn past the
king it’s a goal.

Count the score.

Remember the 5 Steps
 The board – letters close to you, white on the right
 Pawns – ranks 2 and 7
 Rooks, knights and bishops
 Queen – on its own colour (light or dark)
 King – next to queen
Early Chess
Final setup
for the chess
board.