Embarking on a journey to master the game of chess is a captivating experience. From understanding the movements of a humble pawn to controlling the destiny of the mighty king, each step brings a new challenge and a fresh perspective on this timeless game. This guide aims to set you on the right path, covering the basics of chess, strategic approaches, and resources for continual improvement.
Getting Started: Understanding the Chessboard
Chess, the most popular game in the world, possesses a deceptively simple starting point – setting up the chessboard. At the beginning of the game, the chessboard is arranged so that each player has the white (or light) color square in the bottom right-hand side. The chess pieces are then placed in a specific order: the second row is filled with pawns, the rooks go in the corners, followed by the knights, bishops, and finally the queen (who always goes on her own matching color), and the king.
Learning the Moves: From Pawn to King
Each of the six different types of chess pieces moves differently, offering a unique blend of opportunities and constraints. Understanding how each piece moves is the first crucial step in your journey from pawn to king:
- The King, while being the most important piece, can only move one square in any direction.
- The Queen is the most powerful piece, capable of moving in any one straight direction – forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally – as far as possible without moving through her own pieces.
- The Rook can move as far as it wants, but only forward, backward, and sideways.
- The Bishop may move as far as it wants, but only diagonally, staying on the same color throughout the game.
- The Knight moves in an “L” shape: two squares in one direction, and then one more move at a 90-degree angle. Knights are also the only pieces that can jump over other pieces.
- The Pawn, unique in its movement, moves forward but captures diagonally, and can only move forward one square at a time (except for their very first move where they can move forward two squares).
Your First Chess Game
The first game of chess for a beginner might follow a certain pattern:
- Opening: The beginner, playing white (as white always moves first), might start with a move like 1.e4 (moving their king’s pawn two spaces forward), which is known as the King’s Pawn Opening and is a popular choice among beginners because it opens lines for both the queen and a bishop and aims for control of the center of the board.
- Developing pieces: The beginner then focuses on developing their minor pieces (knights and bishops). They are generally taught to avoid moving the same piece multiple times in the opening to not lose tempo (time). Moving the pawns in front of the king and queen can allow the bishops and queen to move out, while the knights can move out immediately.
- Castling: As soon as possible, the beginner might castle (a special move that involves moving the king and a rook). This is usually done for king’s safety and to connect the rooks.
- Midgame: The beginner might start with some simple plans like attacking the opponent’s pieces or trying to control the center of the board. There might be some exchanges of pieces (capturing and being captured). The beginner is taught to always be aware of the safety of their king and not leave their pieces undefended.
- Endgame: If the game progresses to an endgame (where few pieces are left on the board), the beginner might try to use their king actively (as it’s safer now), and aim to promote a pawn to a queen by getting it to the other side of the board.
- Checkmate: The game ends when the beginner manages to trap the opponent’s king in a position where it’s under attack and has no legal moves to get out of attack (checkmate). This could also happen to the beginner’s king, in which case they lose.
Special Rules: Adding Intrigue to the Game
Chess also includes several special rules that add a layer of strategic depth and intrigue to the game. These include pawn promotion (where a pawn reaching the other side of the board can become any other chess piece), “en passant”, and castling, which allows you to safeguard your king and activate your rook in one move.
Remember, the above is just a hypothetical scenario. Real games can play out in countless different ways, and part of the beauty of chess is its complexity and variety.
As for playing chess online, there are various platforms that offer this service. One such platform is Chess.com. It offers various features such as puzzles to improve pattern recognition and lessons to help you learn and grow as a chess player.