Rules of the chess game. How to play chess (for beginners)

Chess can be played by two players. The board consists of 64 squares, 32 light and 32 dark. The verticals of the board are designated by Latin letters (from a to h), and horizontally by numbers (from 1 to 8). So, we can say that each square on the chessboard is determined by a letter and a number. At the start of the game, each player has 8 pieces and 8 pawns.

Let's look at the pieces in the game:

King- This is the main chess piece. The king can move to any adjacent square. The King also has a special move - castling, but this will be written about below.

Queen is the strongest piece in chess. This figure can move vertically, horizontally and diagonally without restrictions. The only restriction is that a piece does not have the right to jump over pieces, both the opponent’s and its own.

Rook- This is a rectilinear figure. She moves horizontally and vertically without limitation, but, like the queen, she cannot jump over either her own or her opponent’s pieces. The rook also participates in a special move - castling. This move is explained below.

Elephant– this is a figure that moves only along diagonals without restrictions on the fields. Elephants cannot change the color of the fields they walk on. From this property the name comes - black-sexed and white-sexed.

Horse- This is the most cunning figure in the game. The horse always moves in the letter "G".

Pawn- the weakest piece in chess. A pawn moves to one square, with the exception of the initial position. From the initial position, a pawn can move either to one square or to two. The pawn attacks and hits only obliquely - diagonally on one square.

When the pawn can reach the opponent's extreme square, the pawn can be exchanged for any piece of the same color, except the king. In this case, it does not matter what figures are presented on the field. The pawn also has a special property: it can beat the opponent’s pawn on the pass.

For example, the opponent’s pawn decided to move from the initial position to 2 squares, and your pawn’s beaten move passes through the square that the opponent’s pawn skips, which means you have the right to take the opponent’s pawn, but only immediately after the opponent’s move.

There are different scales of value for chess pieces. For example:

1) Minor piece = 3 pawns

2) Rook = minor piece + 2 pawns

3) Queen = rook + minor piece + pawn

CASTLING IN CHESS

Castling in chess- this is a special move in which two pieces take part at once - the king and the rook. Each player during the game can make one castling, either long or short.

To put it simply, to perform castling you need to bring the rook close to your king and jump over it. Castling is possible if the king and rook have never moved before and there are no pieces between them. Castling is not possible if the king is in check or under a square that is under attack and when castling the king has to cross or occupy it.

Shah- This is an attack with a piece on the opponent’s king. The king has no right to remain in check. To do this, he needs to either leave or defend with another piece. If the king cannot defend himself or escape from the check, then the king is checkmated.

The consignment. The goal of any game is to declare checkmate to the opponent’s king. As practice shows, the game rarely ends in checkmate, since the player gives up earlier. This is most relevant when playing against the clock, since the game can be lost due to overdue time. There can be a draw in 4 cases:

— Opponents agree to a draw

— Stalemate position (a player cannot move a piece without the king being in check)

— Repeating the position three times

— For 50 moves, not a single piece left the board and not a single pawn moved.

White starts the game. Opponents take turns: according to the rules, they rearrange their pieces to empty spaces or to a field occupied by an opponent’s piece, which is subsequently removed. The game continues until a victory or a draw. In any case, the 50-move rule will not allow the game to last indefinitely.

There are strict rules in tournaments: if you touch a piece, you must make a move with that piece. If you release your hand from the piece, then the move has already been made. To correct a piece on the board, you must first warn your opponent that you are correcting it.

Since the end of the 19th century, timing has been used in chess. In classical chess, this is 2 hours for 40 moves, and then add time of 1 hour for every 20 moves, and 30 minutes to complete the game. In total, the game can last a maximum of 7 hours. In rapid chess the time is reduced to 25 minutes, and in blitz to 15 minutes.

Most championships, including the world championships, are held with full time control, both in classical chess and in rapid chess and blitz.

Chess is an incredibly interesting and addictive game that requires skill and strategic thinking. It has been popular among intellectuals and scientists for centuries. However, you don't need to be a genius to play chess: even children can play and often beat adults. Read this article and learn how to play chess - one of the best board games.

Steps

Part 1

1. Learn the types of pieces and how each one moves. Each piece moves around the board in its own way. Listed below are the names of the pieces and how each one moves (not counting a couple of exceptions, which we'll get to later).

   • Pawn: the most basic piece in the game (there are 8 of them for each player). On her first move she can move forward one or two squares, but after that she can only move forward one square at a time. Pawns can capture pieces that are in front of them on an adjacent square diagonally. The pawn cannot move backwards and is the only piece that moves and attacks differently.
   • Rook looks like a fortress tower. She moves horizontally and vertically to any number of cells. In this case, the rook can capture enemy pieces at the end of its move.
   • Horse looks true to its name and is the trickiest figure. He moves with the letter “L” two squares horizontally and then one vertically or one square horizontally and two vertically in any direction. The knight is the only piece that can “jump” over other pieces, both its own and those of others. He can only capture those enemy pieces that are on the last square of his turn.
   • Elephant moves only diagonally and can move any number of cells. At the end of the move, he can capture the opponent's pieces.
   • Queen: the strongest figure (usually with a more feminine crown than the king). Can move any number of squares horizontally, vertically or diagonally and capture enemy pieces in any of these directions.
   • King can move or capture pieces one square away from itself in any direction. This piece cannot be given away at any price, as this will mean losing the game. The king cannot be put in check. If as a result of the opponent's move the king is in check, it must be immediately withdrawn or covered. If one of the players checkmates the king, he wins the game.
   • Remember that each piece has a relative value.
     • The king is the most valuable and must be protected.
     • The queen is the most versatile piece, which is great for attacks and double strikes. The queen combines the strength of the bishop and rook. He is considered the most valuable figure after the king.
     • Horses are great for sudden attacks and forks. Their unusual walking style often comes as a surprise to newcomers.
     • Bishops show their strength perfectly in open positions. Beginners often underestimate elephants and do not use all their capabilities.
     • Rooks are strong long-range pieces. They show their full strength on open verticals.
     • Pawns may seem insignificant, but they are great for sacrificing to capture a stronger piece. Sometimes a pawn can checkmate the king himself!

2. Find out what “check” is. If the king is attacked by one of the opponent's pieces, then he is said to be in check. If the king is put in check, he MUST immediately move out of check. This can be done in one of three ways:

   • to be the king in a square where no one attacks him, that is, where he is not in check;
   • capture the piece that declared check;
   • protect yourself from check with one of your pieces - this method is not suitable if check is declared by a pawn or knight;
   • if the king cannot escape check with his next move, then he is checkmated - in this case, the game ends and the one who checkmated wins.

3. Understand the basic principle of the game of chess. In chess, you try to checkmate your opponent's king, and he checkmates yours. This is the main goal, and the second most important is obviously to protect your king from checkmate. To do this, you need to destroy as many of your opponent's pieces as possible and at the same time try to save your own pieces.

   • Chess is an intellectual strategic game. There are many moves and rules that beginners will not be able to immediately anticipate and understand. Be patient! The fun begins with practice.

4. Arrange the figures. Now that you know how each piece moves, you can arrange them on the chessboard. Place it so that each player has a white square at the bottom right. Below is how to arrange the pieces.

   • Place all the pawns on the second row in front of you so that you are separated from your opponent by a wall of pawns.
   • Place each rook in a corner on your side of the board.
   • Place a knight next to each rook and a bishop next to each knight.
   • Place the queen on the left square of the remaining two according to its color (the black queen should be on the black square, the white queen on the white one).
   • Finally, place the king on the last remaining square. Make sure your partner has the same arrangement of pieces. Queens and kings must stand opposite each other.

5. If you're serious, learn chess notation. Each field on the board corresponds to a letter and a number. If someone says "knight on c3", c3 means a specific square on the board. This makes it easier to record chess games. Chess notation is described in this article.

   Part 2

   Game process

   1. White goes first. They choose the piece they want to resemble and begin playing the opening. White makes the first move, and Black responds. The opening is one of the most important stages of the game. There is no one “right” way to play it, as everyone has their own style. Find your style too. However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

      • Don't rush to attack immediately. In the opening you are simply looking for the most comfortable positions for your pieces. They should be placed in advantageous and safe positions.
      • As a rule, at the very beginning of the game you should not make more than two moves with pawns. Next, pay attention to the stronger pieces - bishops, knights, queen and rook. “Develop” the pieces until they occupy advantageous positions (for example, in the center of the board).
      • Much in the opening depends on the opponent's moves - you need to carefully look at his play. Watch your opponent's moves and try to understand what he wants. In chess, more than in any other game, it is important to be able to unravel your opponent’s plans.

   2. Remember the rule of capturing on the pass. Many beginners forget about this rule. However, if you want to become a better chess player, remember this rule:

      • As you remember, with your first move your pawn can move two squares forward. Let's assume that you do this, and your pawn ends up next to (that is, on the same rank) with your opponent's pawn. Your opponent's next and only next move can take your pawn on the way. Usually the pawn only attacks diagonally, and in this situation it can capture the enemy pawn on the pass and advance one square diagonally, as usual.
      • Again, this can only happen immediately after the pawn has moved two squares on its first move. After a turn, this opportunity is lost. Only pawns can attack on the pass. Other figures can not capture a pawn on the pass.

   3. Take turns. And let there be a game! Alternate moves with your opponent, try to get to the enemy king and eliminate the pieces standing in your way. Try to attack your opponent's queen and king first, although there are many other opportunities to win.

      • It may seem that the pawns are simply getting in the way, but do not rush to sacrifice them. If one of them passes to the opposite edge of the board, it turns into any other piece (except the king)! Usually a queen is placed, but a pawn can also be promoted to something else, such as a knight, rook or bishop. If you manage to move the pawn to the last rank, it will greatly affect the course of the game.

   4. Always think several moves ahead. If you put your knight here, what will happen? Won't you expose him to the attack of your opponent's pieces? Do you have time to attack, or does your king (or queen) need to be defended? How can you attack your opponent? Where will the game go in the next few turns? What position might emerge in a few moves?

      • This is not a game where you can mindlessly rearrange the pieces - they all influence each other in one way or another. Carelessness can lead to the fact that your own pawn will stand in the way of your bishop, the king will be protected only by the knight, and the opponent’s rook will unexpectedly attack your queen. Therefore, plan your moves and, if possible, predict your opponent's moves. To win, you will have to show all your skills!
      • Always take countermeasures whenever possible. You can substitute a pawn for your opponent's bishop if you take it with your knight on your next move. Sometimes well-planned sacrifices must be made.

   5. Learn to castle. In addition to capturing a pawn on the aisle, there is one more special move. This is castling involving a king and a rook. Castling is the only case where two pieces move at the same time. When castling, the king and rook change places - this allows you to cover the king and remove the rook, killing two birds with one stone. As a result, the king finds himself in safe hiding.

      • The following conditions are required for castling:
        • the king and rook participating in castling have not yet moved;
        • the king is not in check;
        • there are no other pieces between the king and the rook;
        • When castling, the king does not pass through squares that are under attack from enemy pieces.
      • In one movement, the king and rook move simultaneously. First you need to move the king two squares towards the rook, and then place the rook on the square behind the king. When castling to the right, the king moves two squares to the right, and the rook moves two squares to the left. When castling in left side the king moves two squares to the left and the rook three to the right.

   6. Checkmate your opponent's king and win the game. You should put a check on the opponent's king, from which he cannot escape. You can declare “Checkmate!”, although this is not necessary. In this case, the opponent places his king on the board, which signals his defeat.

      • Sometimes a stalemate results, in which case the game ends in a draw. In a stalemate, the player whose turn it is to move does not have the opportunity to move anywhere with the king or other pieces, and at the same time his king is not in check.
      • There are several other situations in which the game can end in a draw.
        • By agreement of both players. If both players believe they cannot win, they can settle for a draw.
        • As a result of repetition of moves. If same the position will be repeated on the board three times, the game ends in a draw. For example, if both players of a player repeatedly move their knights to the same squares, a draw is recorded.
        • According to the 50 moves rule. If no player can move a pawn or capture an opponent's piece within 50 moves, the game ends in a draw. This prevents the game from continuing endlessly and the possibility of overwhelming the enemy.
        • In case of insufficient material. If both opponents do not have enough pieces to checkmate, the game ends in a draw. For example, a king and a knight cannot checkmate a lone king.
        • If there are only kings left on the board. This is a special case of insufficient material, since it is impossible to checkmate with just the king. In this case, the game ends in a draw.

   Part 3

   Game strategy

   1. Use all the shapes. For example, do not move too long with one knight just because it can be checked. Use your entire army! One of the most big mistakes for beginners is that they only use some of their pieces. At the same time, the remaining pieces lag behind in development and become easy prey for the opponent. Liven up the game and keep your opponent on guard.

      • In the opening, move a few pawns forward one or two squares, and then start moving other pieces. This will allow you to bring more pieces from the first rank, they will easily enter the game and enhance your attacking potential.

   2. Control the center. Since pieces can move in different directions from there, control of the center is more important than the flanks. When you dominate the center, your pieces have more mobility than at the edges and corners of the board. For example, if a knight is standing in a corner, he can only do two different moves, while in the center the number of moves increases to eight! Try to gain control of the center of the board as quickly as possible.

      • This is why many people start the game by moving the central pawns. Just be careful not to expose your king to a checkmate from a well-placed bishop or queen!

   3. Don't give away your pieces for no reason. Although it's pretty obvious, many players (even grandmasters!) sometimes lose their pieces. If you have to give up a piece, try to exchange it for something. Never give away pieces thoughtlessly - they are all valuable, from pawn to queen. The significance of each figure can be roughly assessed in points. The more valuable the figure, the more points it is worth:

      • pawn - 1 point;
      • horse - 3 points;
      • elephant - 3 points;
      • rook - 5 points;
      • queen - 9 points;
      • the king is priceless, since losing it means losing the game.

   4. Protect your king. This should be given Special attention. Even if you don't do anything else and don't really like to attack, then just obliged protect your king. Hide him in a corner by castling, cover him with several pawns, and provide escape routes in case your opponent checks. After that, attack yourself so that your opponent begins to think about running away rather than attacking, and the sooner the better.

      • At the beginning and middle of the game, the king on his own can do little. At these stages of the game, the king almost always needs protection from checks in the form of several pieces. However, at the end of the game, when there are few pieces and few pawns left on the board, the king turns into a full-fledged combat unit and should be brought to the center of the board.
   • Watch your opponent's moves carefully. They will affect your moves, but not the plan you want to implement.
   • Learn from mistakes. As a beginner, you are simply doomed to make mistakes. Even grandmasters “yawn” and lose.
   • You can consider that you have fully developed your pieces when your king has castled, your bishops and knights have been removed from their starting positions, and the space between the rooks is clear.
   • Try to keep in the center of the board a large number of figures. The more pawns you leave behind, the better they will cover your king.
   • Don't be discouraged by frequent losses. It takes some time to learn how to play chess properly - many masters took more than 10 years to do this!
   • Learn a few chess traps so you can use them yourself and avoid falling for your opponent's tricks.
   • Walk deliberately. Unlike other pieces, pawns cannot return to the square from which they left. They are quite clumsy, and the location of the pawns largely determines the course of the chess game.
   • Don't try to give a quick checkmate. If you focus all your efforts on trying to get a quick checkmate, your opponent may punish you for it.
   • Nobody knows the recipe for winning 100%. There is no method in chess that allows you to win a game with certainty.
   • It is best to place the pieces on the four central cells, since here their mobility is maximum. This way you will increase the number of your possible moves and reduce your opponent's choice.
   • Sometimes castling is dangerous and can lead to a loss. In other cases, castling can even checkmate your opponent's king! Make your decision based on your specific position on the board.

   Warnings

   • Rapid chess is not for beginners. They are complex, encourage competition and create self-doubt among beginners.
   • Chess pieces can be dangerous for small children - they can swallow them.

Hello dear guest of our chess site. If you are here, it means you want to learn the rules of chess. Right? Most likely you are a beginner, you know little about chess and have only once heard popular expression“Walk as a horse, you won’t see the will forever”...

Introduction

We want to make you happy. On this site you will find everything you need to know about chess from A to Z. And this article will become for you the main base that will guide you from scratch to a complete study of all chess rules and even those that many chess players who, like this, do not know Let's say, they've been carving in the courtyards on benches for years. Let's get down to business.

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First things first. You don't need months of study or even weeks to learn the rules of chess. 2-3 hours is enough.

Below we will give you all the comprehensive information on all the rules and give you all the necessary links to study other articles on our site, and in just a few hours, you can safely be proud that you know all the chess rules 100%. We'll even give you a link to download the official FIDE Chess Rules. How... Well, let's begin...

Basic Game Theory

Let's start with the most important thing, dear friend. Chess is usually played by 2 people. Sometimes, of course, they play in pairs or teams, but official tournaments, championships and competitions are a struggle between two people. One plays with white pieces, the other with black pieces.

Players take turns. The one who plays white goes first.

If we are talking about playing in the yard or in the kitchen with a neighbor over a glass of beer or a cup of coffee, then you can play without a clock or time. Players simply take turns until one of them wins or draws.

Well, at competitions, tournaments and championships, naturally, players play with a chess clock where each player is given a certain amount of time for his thoughts. Time is not given for a move, time is given for the entire game.

The essence of the game in chess is to win another player by checkmating his king or to create for yourself a position in the game in which the opponent will simply surrender and shake your hand.

Usually this is a position when you have eaten up more pieces from your opponent than he has from you, or he understands that in a few moves he will be checkmated.

You can also win by time. It seems like they’ve eaten up a bunch of your pieces and you’re about to be checkmated, but your opponent runs out of time, and he’s considered a loser, and you’re considered a winner.

Let's look at what it is:

Shah- a position on the chessboard when a piece has attacked the king (the king is under attack), but he can leave the battlefield, or another piece can cover him with his body. That is, you can escape the Shah.

Mat– a position on the chessboard when a piece has attacked the king (the king is under attack), but he cannot escape the attack. Any field wherever he steps is beaten. And no figure of his can cover him with his body.

Pat- a position on the chessboard when the player cannot move at all. In this case, it's a draw.

More details about what checkmate, checkmate and stalemate look like on the board will be given below. You still need to first learn how the pieces move, attack each other, and eat.

Types of chess game options

Chess games have their own names. There are only three types:

Bullet
Blitz
Classic

In pool, each player is given 1 minute for the entire game. Can you imagine? 1 minute. That's why the bullet. There is no time to think, you just have to have time to rearrange the pieces, and then figure it out later on the fly.

In blitz, the player is given somewhere between 3-15 minutes. Blitz is also called rapid chess. There is time to think about how to go. Rook or horse. =))

Classic times range from 20 minutes to several hours. At official championships, it also happens that a player goes and goes to a cafe to drink tea, while another player is thinking about how to go. You have plenty of time and you can even take a nap in your room.

There is a type of game when, after its own move, the clock automatically adds 3-5 seconds to your time.

Rules for placing pieces on the board

So. Each player initially has the same number of pieces, namely:

8 pawns
2 rooks
2 horses
2 elephants
1 queen
1 king

All the pieces on the board are arranged like this:

The pawns are on the 2nd and 7th lines. They are a kind of fortress, a line of defense. Some call them suicide bombers because they are the first to go into battle.

Rule 1: White is placed on lines 1 and 2. Black bets on lines 7 and 8.

Rule 2: The queen loves her color. That is, if the queen is white, then it is placed on a white cell, if it is black, then on a black one. Accordingly, the white king is placed next to the black square, and the black king stands next to the queen on the white square.

Chess notation

Of course, we could talk about chess notation at the end of this article or leave it out altogether, but we still decided to include it in the post, since we will further talk about how the pieces move, what fields (cells) they stand on, and so that you understood us when we write e4-e5, Be5xd6 or 0-0.

Chess notation is actually simple, and so as not to repeat what has already been written, we recommend that you read this one on our website about chess notation. After you read it, come back to this article and continue reading.

Rules for the movement of each piece in chess

Now let's talk to you about how the pieces move. This is probably the most important thing in chess. If you don’t need to know chess notation to play the game, then you need to know 100% how the pieces move.

Many people still play chess and don’t know elementary rules, so, for example, like: a pawn does not eat back and capturing a pawn on the aisle.

In order for you to know how pieces move in chess, we suggest you read this series of articles that we have prepared for you. Here everything is written for each figure from A to Z, in clear and simple language.

In addition to the fact that you will now know how the pieces move, know the following:

• Kings on a chessboard cannot stand next to each other end to end. There must be a gap of at least 1 square between them.
• The king in chess cannot be eaten
• At proper game The rule applies: “If you pick up a piece, go to it”
• The player who has the right to move can offer a draw at any time, even after leaving. An opponent can accept a draw only before he resigns.

That is, after a response move, after which he suddenly realizes that he made a mistake, he cannot accept a draw.

Let's return to our checks, checkmates and stalemates. Since now you know how pieces move in chess, we can show you with pictures with comments what check, double check, checkmate and stalemate look like.

Let's look at examples of how a pawn, rook, bishop, knight or queen puts the king in check.

Example of check by queen:

The queen attacks the king. The king has nowhere to move, because the g8 square is captured by White's bishop standing on c4. But Black's knight can block the queen's path and, so to speak, protect the king with its body. Yes, the poor conic will be eaten on the next move and there will be a mate. But now there is only check from the queen.

Tax. And who will find a good move for Black to check from the queen? Write it in the comments.

An example of a rook check:

The rook checks the king, but the king can go to h7, or the bishop, standing on f8, can cover the king with its powerful body.

An example of a check with a knight:

The king can only retreat to f8. The squares h7 and f7 are captured by White's pawn. And the square h8 is captured by the queen. And there is nothing to eat the horse with.

An example of a check with a bishop:

The only defense against this check is to block the bishop's attack with the rook. It is impossible to move the king to g8, since this square is captured by the queen.

An example of a check with a pawn:

The pawn moves to h7 and puts the king in check. A retreat is only possible on h8 since the f8 square is captured by White's bishop. But there is one more defense against check. You can simply use the king to sit down the attacking pawn, since it has no defense.

An example of another rook check:

With this check variation, Black has a huge choice of defense. With the king you can go to the d6 square, or you can defend with your own pieces, that is, block the attack of the rook. You can close with a knight on e6 and a bishop on e6, or you can close with a queen or bishop on e7.

Well, in conclusion, let's look at the double check option:

In order to double check Black's king, White simply jumps with his knight to f7. As a result, check comes from both the knight and the queen on h7.

The only defense against check is for the king to retreat to g8. Yes, Black's queen can eat White's queen, but the knight remains in check. Black can also eat the knight with the bishop, but then the queen remains in check. There is only one way out in case of double check - move only with the king.

Now let's look at the mat options.

Example of checkmate by queen:

The king cannot eat the queen since he is under the protection of the rook. There is also nowhere to go.

Example of checkmate by rook:

Black checkmate. It is impossible for the king to run to the 2nd line, since it is penetrated by the rook on f2. And there is nothing to close it with.

Example of checkmate with a knight:

Very beautiful mat. This type of swearing is also called stale. The king is trapped by his own pieces.

Example of checkmate by bishop:

The bishop is aimed at the king. The king has nowhere to go. Squares h7 and h8 are penetrated by White's knight and rook. There is nothing to close it with. Yes, there is a rook on f8 and, in theory, you can hide behind it, but alas, if it leaves its place, it opens another check from the queen standing on b2. If such a move is made in a real game, it will be considered impossible. And if a move is impossible, the player is automatically assigned a defeat.

Example of checkmate with a pawn:

The king is squeezed again and the pawn cannot be eaten, since it is protected by the bishop on d3.

Well, let me show you the last version of a beautiful mat:

The queen places it. White's king has nowhere to move since the kings cannot stand next to each other.

Now let's look at the stalemate.

This is the first example of a stalemate. Now it's Black's move and he has nowhere to go. The pawns are against White's pawns, and the king's move is prohibited, since the queen controls all the squares.

The second stalemate option:

Black's move. But they can't go anywhere. The king cannot stand next to another king, and besides, the 7th line is broken through by the rook standing on a7. The knight also cannot leave its square since it will open a check to the king from the rook on c8.

The ratio of the strength of a particular figure

Let's talk about the power of pieces now. We will tell you not only about who is stronger than whom, for example, a knight or bishop, queen or rook, but also about which piece is worth how many other pieces or pawns. If you don’t understand, then everything will be clear now... So...

The weakest piece in chess is it's a pawn. She is so small, harmless and walks only 1-2 squares forward, eats diagonally one square or hits on the pass. BUT!

Do not forget that a simple pawn can turn into any piece (except the king) when it reaches the last line of the chessboard. Let's also remember the cases when a pawn put a checkmate and decided the outcome of the game. And look here:

Looking at the position on the board, it is clear to the naked eye that Black is winning. They are facing mate on c2 with the queen. Black has a queen, a rook, and also 2 minor pieces - a bishop and a knight. White has only a rook of strong pieces. BUT! White has a pawn and his move.

The question is: what does a pawn turn into when it stands on the last line of the board, namely the f7 square? That's right - onto the horse. And black gets a nice mate. Here's a weak pawn for you...

In general, of course, the pawn is the weakest of all the pieces.

If we talk about who is stronger, a knight or a bishop, then everything depends on the position on the board. In some positions the knight is stronger than the bishop, and in others it’s the other way around. Much is still decided by which bishop the player remains with, light-squared or dark-squared.

If a player has 2 knights left, and his opponent has 2 bishops, then it is considered that 2 bishops are stronger than 2 knights in the game. Well, that is, it turns out that the first one has no bishops, only 2 knights, and the enemy has no knights, only 2 bishops.

In fact, if you seriously study the theory of chess games and its strategies, then you will know everything from A to Z regarding the strength of pieces in a given position.

Well, the most powerful piece on the board is the queen. And why, you probably already understand. Because the queen goes wherever she wants.

The king is neither a strong nor a weak piece, he is simply a valuable piece. The king must be protected and protected.

Now let's talk about which figure is worth how many others. Let's not talk about the pawn. A pawn, as they say, is worth a pawn.

The bishop, like the knight, is equal to approximately three pawns.

The queen is equal in strength to two rooks or three minor pieces.

A rook plus a pawn is approximately equal in strength to two minor pieces.

You also need to know that 2 minor pieces are usually stronger than 1 rook. And a rook and 2 minor pieces are stronger than a queen.

Chess situations during the game and their solutions

In principle, knowing everything that was written above and having studied all the information from the links in this article, you can safely play chess and proudly tell everyone around that you know the chess rules perfectly.

However, let's look at some more chess situations, figure out what they mean and what to do in this or that situation.

Somehow the position on the board got lost. Well, anything can happen. A person walked by and touched the board, or you caught the edge of the board with your sleeve and knocked down the pieces.

In this case, the competition judge restores the position after recording the game. If you played with a friend in the yard or in the kitchen and the game was not recorded, then you just need to play again.

Initially, when the game began, the pieces were placed incorrectly, and you discovered this in the middle of the game.

It happens. Rare, but accurate. And again. If this is a championship or competition, then the judge is called and corrects the pieces. Let's say you placed the queen and king in the wrong way, changing their places. Or a knight with an elephant.

If initially the white pieces were on the 7th and 8th lines, and the black ones on the 1st and 2nd, then the game is transferred to another board with the same position, only the pieces are placed as they should be, the whites go 1st and 2nd lines up to 7-8, and the blacks vice versa.

An example of incorrectly placed figures:

The player castling incorrectly.

Believe me, this often happens to beginning chess players; they castling not with the king and rook, but with the queen and rook. In this case, the rule applies - “Take it - go.” That is, the player will need to move the piece he took on, and castling is cancelled. We provided a link to an article with the topic - how to properly castling - above.

The player touched one piece and moved another.

The judge is called. As a result, a decision is made on an impossible move and the player who made it is considered a loser.

The player made a move and checkmated his opponent. BUT! The opponent suddenly looks at his watch and shouts “Figurines, you’ve run out of time”...

The clock no longer plays a role. There is a checkmate on the board and the one who delivered it is declared the winner, even if time has already run out. I had to scream until the checkmate on the board that time was up. And not after the checkmate is already in place. It's the same with stalemate.

The player stopped the clock.

So he gave up.

There is a situation on the board where there are not enough pieces on the board for any player to win.

Well, for example, there are only 2 kings left on the board. In this case, the game ends in a draw.

The player ran out of time when his opponent had only one king left.

In this case, it is declared a draw. Because the king alone cannot checkmate.

The same position appears on the board three times in a row.

In this case, the game ends in a draw. Here is an example of such a situation:

The blacks understand that they are screwed. White's pawn advances and threatens checkmate for their king. As a result, Black ends the game in a draw. Well, at least it's not a defeat.

The queen moves to c2 and puts in check. The king should only go to a1. Then the queen goes to c1 and checks again. The king should only go to a2. The queen on c2 is in check again... And so 3 times. The result is a draw.

That's all friends actually are. Just as promised at the beginning of the game, keep the link to download the official FIDE rules - DOWNLOAD. Read it, maybe you’ll find something useful, but overall this article contains absolutely everything you need to know about the rules of chess.

If you think that the article is not complete, then please write about it in the comments and suggest adding something. We will definitely do this.

We hope the post was useful to you. See you soon…

Chess is a game for two. One player (White) uses pieces white, and the second player (Black) usually plays with black pieces. The board is divided into 64 small black and white squares (fields).

There is a system (notation) that describes the situation on the board and the movement of all the pieces and pawns.

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

In this system, vertical rows of fields are called lines (verticals) and are designated by Latin letters: a, b, c, d, e, f, g and h. Horizontal rows of fields are called rows (horizontals) and are numbered from 1 to 8 (1st row, 2nd row, etc.). Each square has its own designation (for example, square e4, indicated by a yellow circle on the board).

EXAMPLE 3

Sloping rows of fields - diagonals are indicated by end fields, for example: a2-g8 And h4-d8 diagonals (marked with red lines). While verticals and horizontals include margins different color, then the diagonals consist of fields of the same color, either white or black fields. For example, diagonal b1-h7 white-field (marked with a green line), and the diagonals c1-a3 And a3-f8 black-field (marked with a blue line). 2 diagonals consisting of 8 fields ( a1-h8 And h1-a8) are called long (main) diagonals (marked with yellow lines).

EXAMPLE 4

STARTING POSITION

At the beginning of the game, each side has:

Pawns and pieces (all together) are called material. At the beginning of the game, the parties have material equality. The goal of the game is to capture the enemy king. This is called mate the king.

Queen and rooks are heavy pieces. Bishops and knights are light pieces.

Chess pieces in the notation are described as follows: king - Kr; queen - F; rook - L; elephant - C; horse - K; pawn - p.

In chess game notation, the designation pawn (p) is most often omitted.

Position of pieces and pawns in this moment on the board is called a position or situation. The diagram shows the starting position.

White occupies the first and second ranks, black - the seventh and eighth. The board should be positioned so that the top left corner field is white ( h1 for whites and a8 for blacks). In the initial position, the white queen must stand on a white square ( d1) and the black queen - on the black square ( d8).

EXAMPLE 5

The left half of the chessboard (a to d) is called the queenside, and the right half of the board (e to h) is the kingside.

EXAMPLE 6

Four central fields ( d4, d5, e4, e5) are called 2 center. This is a very important section of the board.

MOVES

Any movement of a piece or pawn on the board is called a move. Players take turns making moves, with the white player starting first.

You cannot move a piece to a square already occupied by your own piece or pawn. The knight is the only piece that can jump over squares occupied by its own pieces or pawns and enemy pieces.

Rook

The rook can move any number of squares along the horizontal or vertical lines.

In the diagram, the white rook can move to any square on the e-file or to any square on the 4th rank, a total of 14 squares are available to it.

EXAMPLE 7

Elephant

The bishop can move any number of squares along the diagonal.

In the diagram, the white bishop on d4 can move to any square on the diagonals a1-h8 And g1-a7, a total of 13 fields are available to him. The other white bishop has only 7 squares at its disposal.

In the starting position, each player has one bishop, which can only move on white squares, and one bishop, which can only move on black squares. They are often called light-squared and dark-squared bishops.

EXAMPLE 8

Queen

The queen can move any number of squares vertically, horizontally and diagonally, as shown in the diagram.

Thus, the queen combines the capabilities of a rook and a bishop, and can also move along both white and black diagonals. The diagram shows that the queen standing on d4, 27 fields available. This mobility makes the queen by far the strongest piece.

EXAMPLE 9

Horse

The horse moves in a very unusual way.

From a black field e5 White horse can go to one of the 8 white squares, as indicated by the arrows. The knight will move 1 square forward and one diagonally and only on a field of the opposite color to the field on which it is at the beginning of the move. The diagram shows that the horse jumps over the field d5 and stands on the field c6 or c4; through e6 on the field d7 or f7; through f5 on the field g6 or g4, and through e4 on d3 or f3. The knight always moves from a white square to a black square and vice versa. We can say that the horse moves in the letter "G".

EXAMPLE 10

This is the only piece that can jump over its own and other people's pieces.

Although the white knight is surrounded on all sides by his own and others' pieces and pawns, this does not prevent him from moving to the squares marked with markers.

The horse stands out for its exceptional maneuverability.

A well-known problem is to move a knight around the entire board, visiting each square only once. Mathematicians have found that there are more than 30 million such routes. Although the best minds have been solving this problem for several centuries, no one has established the exact number of such routes.

EXAMPLE 11

King

The king can move one square in any direction (diagonal, vertical, horizontal).

On the diagram, the squares to which the king can move are marked with dots.

In the corner of the board, the king's mobility decreases: on the extreme horizontal line, only 5 squares are available to him. When the king is located on a corner square of the board, only 3 squares are available to him.

EXAMPLE 12

TAKE

A piece can capture an enemy piece or a pawn standing in its path. This piece is removed from the board and its place is taken by the piece that makes the move. After which the move is considered over. A piece can capture an enemy piece or pawn only if it can move to the square on which the captured piece is located.

White's move. The white queen simultaneously threatens the black rook and bishop and can capture one of these pieces. Since the rook is a more valuable piece, White takes the rook on d4. The following position appears:

EXAMPLE 13

Before taking.
1. Јd4 After taking:

The player is not obligated to make an eventual capture.

Pawns

To designate a pawn, we will add the file on which it is located or the square: f-pawn, g4-pawn, and so on. Pawns are also called by the name of the piece located on this vertical in the initial position: queen pawn (d pawn), king pawn (e pawn), rook pawn (a or h pawns), knight pawn (b or g), bishop pawn (c or f).

Unlike pieces, which can move in any direction, a pawn can only move one square forward vertically. An exception for the initial position, for example, a white pawn on the second row and a black pawn on the 7th row can move 2 squares forward at once.

Pawns move only vertically, but captures are made diagonally, left or right.

On diagrams, white pawns can only move up, and black pawns can only move down.

Let's look at the pawn moves in the diagram. The white pawn a4 can only move to one square:

EXAMPLE 14

[Since the white pawn c2 in the initial position, then she can go 1. c3;

The white d4 pawn does not threaten the black king, but can capture one of two black pieces: 1. dc;

Black can make the following moves with pawns: 1... ab

In addition to the usual capture, a pawn can capture an enemy pawn (but not a piece) on the pass.

The situation (example 15) arises after the moves

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 f6

A similar situation can arise if Black plays 3... f5 instead of 3... f6

EXAMPLE 15

Now White has the right to take the black f-pawn on the pass with his e-pawn. To do this, White removes the black pawn from the board and moves his pawn to f6. In notation: 4. ef

However, if White does not immediately use the right to capture on the pass, then on the next move he will already lose it. If in diagram 1 White does not play 4. exf6, then on the next move he can no longer take this pawn. Only the white pawn on the fifth rank and the black pawn on the fourth rank can gain the right to capture en passant.

The mobility of a pawn and its attacking potential are much lower than that of any piece (rook pawns control only one square, and the remaining pawns control two squares). However, a pawn can be promoted to any piece except a king. When a pawn reaches the last row (the white pawn is the 8th row and the black pawn is the 1st row) it can be promoted to a piece (queen, bishop, rook or knight) of the same color, regardless of whether there are already such pieces on the board or not. This is called promoting a pawn.

Thanks to this pawn ability, a player can have more pieces of a certain type than in the initial position, several queens, for example. Most often, a pawn turns into the strongest piece - a queen.

When a pawn reaches the last row, the notation after the pawn's move indicates the piece into which the pawn is promoted. At position on the diagram, the notation would look like this:

EXAMPLE 16

1.d8 Ј - this means that the white pawn has reached the 8th row and has become a queen.

A pawn can also be promoted to a queen by taking the bishop on e8: 1. de Ј ;

White can promote his pawn to any other piece. In this case, for example, it is best to take the bishop and turn the pawn into a knight, which immediately attacks both the black king and queen 1. de ¤

NOTATION

In this position, White moves the knight from e3 to c4, simultaneously attacking the black rook on b6 and the pawn on d6. An attack like this is called a double strike. Black removes the rook to b8, and White wins the d6 pawn.

Now Black faces a new danger: White threatens the bishop on c6. To avoid the threat, Black moves him to d7. Let's represent these moves using chess notation. White's first move

EXAMPLE 17

1. ¤ c4, where 1 is the move number, K is the abbreviation of the piece making the move, and c4 is the square to which the piece moved. White's next move and Black's response are described in the notation in the same manner. The symbol used to indicate taking x(multiplication sign), for example 2. TO xd6. Now we can list all the moves this example: 1... ¦b8 2. ¤d6 Ґd7 Three dots before a move (when necessary) indicate that it is Black's move.

Mastering chess is a long process that can take several years, but you don't have to be a great chess player to win almost every game, you just need to understand the mechanics of the game. By learning to recognize some moves and read your opponent, you can effectively defend your king, attack your opponent's king, and come out victorious in almost every game.

It is assumed that you are already familiar with the basic rules of chess. If you are just getting started with the game,

Steps

Part 1

Understand the value of each piece and protect them accordingly. It is clear that the king is the most important piece on the board, because its loss leads to defeat in the game. Despite this, you should not consider the remaining figures to be useless cannon fodder. According to the mathematics and geometry of the chessboard, some pieces are more valuable than others. Remember this when you take other people's pieces. For example, you shouldn’t put your most valuable rook at risk just to get rid of your opponent’s knight.

Understand the goals of a good debut. The opening is the first few moves in the game that determine your overall strategy and arrangement of pieces for the entire game. The goal of the initial moves is to deploy (move away from the initial fields) as much as possible more strong figures. For good start There are a few key points to consider:

• Move pawns to the center of the board to open the way for stronger pieces.
• Your opening will also depend on whether you are playing with black or white pieces. Since White goes first, you should play aggressively and not let the initiative go to your opponent. Black should organize a defense, waiting for White to expose himself to attack.
• Never move the same piece two moves in a row unless it is in danger of being swept off the board. The more pieces you can move, the more moves your opponent will need to counter.
• With all this in mind, check out the list of openings that grandmasters make in chess tournaments.

1. Think through your strategy 4-5 moves ahead, making each move part of a more sophisticated attack. To win at chess, you must constantly think several steps ahead, preparing extensive and complex attacks to outsmart your opponent. Your first move determines the entire subsequent game and leads to the first attack or control of certain areas of the board. The best way learn to plan ahead - practice several common openings:

   Perform a 4-move "Children's Checkmate" to instantly win the game. The problem is that this strategy will only work once, as an experienced player will see through your plan and take the king away from the attack. Despite this, a child's mat is in a great way catch a newbie by surprise and quickly win the game.

   Control the center of the board to control the game. During a game of chess, your the main task is to control the center of the board, especially the four squares in the middle. This is because from there you can attack in any direction, allowing you to control the pace and flow of the game. A knight, for example, has 8 potential moves from the center of the board, but only 1-2 from the edges of the board. There are two main ways to achieve control over the center:

   • You can gain a foothold in the center of the board by slowly moving several pieces there. Let the knights and bishops stand on the edges and play the role of support, there they will be able to attack the enemy pieces in the event of an attack. This kind of leisurely development of events is used most often.
   • But approaching from the flanks is more modern style a game in which control of the center is exercised along the edges of the board. Your rooks, queen and knights rise along the edges of the board, thereby preventing the enemy from capturing the center for free.

2. Develop one figure at a time. Having finished the opening, we move on to the deployment of battle formations. You must remove all your pieces from the initial squares, moving them to places that are more effective for them.

   • If you can, move the pieces one at a time. Do not move the same piece twice in a row, unless, of course, you need to take it away from attack or wear out the enemy’s forces.
   • It is also not necessary to move all the figures. Advancing all the pawns will not help you win, as it will break the key line of defense protecting your king.

3. Learn castling. Castling is a special move in which the king “jumps” over the rook, which acts as a wall against an upcoming attack and is protected by pawns placed above it. This is an extremely effective defensive tactic, especially for chess beginners. You will need to do the following:

   Don't neglect exchanging pieces. Feel free to trade pieces if you end up with a material advantage, such as sacrificing a knight to gain the enemy queen. When the pieces are more or less equal, the exchange process becomes quite confusing. In short, you should not make an exchange when:

   Think over your strategy 5-6 moves ahead. It may be difficult, but to win games regularly, you must make long-term plans. Each move of the pieces must pursue three main goals. Keeping these points in mind, you will soon be able to calculate multi-move moves on the fly to win the game:

   Use your advantage to the maximum, do not rush headlong into the attack. Rhythm of the game is what chess is all about, so keep it there as long as possible. If your opponent only reacts to your actions and constantly removes pieces from attack without being able to counterattack, continue to slowly reduce the number of his pieces. Remember that winning a battle does not guarantee you will win the war. Don't let your opponent make counterattacks in response to your moves. Instead, take out his defensive pieces, capture the center of the board, and then wait for the moment to launch a crushing attack.

   Learn how to bind. Pinning is an attack in which an enemy piece is cornered or taken hostage, deterring the opponent from using it effectively at the risk of losing it. This passive type of combat is great for controlling the flow of the game and defeating the enemy. First, analyze the options for moving the figure. Pay special attention to pieces with a limited number of moves. Then position your pieces to attack the connected piece wherever it moves, effectively rendering it useless for a while.

   Evaluate each move objectively. You must think in terms of the entire board, analyzing every move available to you. Don't make a move just because it's your turn, take your time and try to find the best move available. Of course, it all depends on the situation, but you can ask yourself a couple of questions before each move to understand whether you are doing the right thing:

   Get rid of enemy pieces as a united front. You need to maintain control of the center while attacking as a unit. Your pieces are like pieces in an orchestra - they all serve a unique purpose, but work best together. By eliminating your opponent's pieces, you will increase your chances of bypassing the king's defense, and by organizing 2-3 support groups, you will provide a material advantage.

   Protect your queen at all stages of the game with the help of your bishop and rook. The queen is considered the strongest piece on the board for a reason, so do not rush to exchange it for another enemy piece, even for another queen, such a move is rarely justified. The queen is your most versatile attacking piece, use it for its intended purpose. Always protect and support your queen, as most players are willing to sacrifice almost any piece (except their own queen) to get rid of it.

   Don't surround your bishops with pawns. Bishops attack from long distances, and to control the board, especially on early stages games, it is extremely important to use both of them. There are many opening moves you can learn, but their main purpose is to expose your strong pieces.

Part 3

Think through the course of the game from beginning to end. A game of chess basically has three stages, which are closely related to each other. The best chess players in the world plan their game 10-12 moves ahead while simultaneously developing 3-4 strategies based on their opponent's moves. They know that moves and pieces spent early on will greatly affect the final stage of the game and plan their actions accordingly.

• Debut: This is where the tone of the game is set. In the first 4–5 moves, an accelerated mobilization of many pieces occurs and the fight for the center of the board begins. You can go on the offensive, transferring the battle to the enemy’s side, or go on the defensive, waiting for the enemy to make the first move.
• Middlegame: its only purpose is to prepare for the endgame. At this stage, there is an exchange of pieces, seizure of control over the center of the board and the installation of 1-2 lines of attack, which can move at any moment. Trading, of course, can be beneficial, but you must understand that with each lost piece, your chances of winning decrease.
• Endgame: the stage when very few pieces remain on the board, and their value increases noticeably. You might think that the endgame will be where the main showdown will take place, but in fact, most of the work has already been done. The player who "won" the middlegame and was left with the best material will easily end the game with a mate.

1. Bishops are much more useful than horses at the end of the game. At the beginning of the game, bishops and knights are approximately equal in strength. However, by the end of the game, bishops will move across the empty board many times faster than the still slow knights. Remember this when exchanging pieces - even if in the short term the bishop is not super useful, then it is already last stage party becomes one of the most valuable figures.

2. Take advantage of the numerical advantage of pawns on an empty board. Pawns only seem useless, but by the end of the game they become key figures. They can support strong pieces, advance along the board, unnerving the opponent, and are also an ideal shield for the king. However, this advantage can be lost if you start doubling them at the beginning of the game (two pawns on the same vertical line). Keep your pawns close so they can cover each other. When there are very few pieces left on the board, a swift attack to promote a pawn to a queen can decide the outcome of the game.

   • Look for problem sets on the Internet or grab a book on chess strategies from the library; they will certainly contain example problems.

• Play confidently with a winning mindset.
• Don't stop practicing and don't give away pieces foolishly.
• Go on the offensive in groups. If you have to move away from the group to attack, make a plan to regroup your forces.
• Some computer chess games have hints that you can use. These tips may be useful to you in official matches.
• When you're ready, take part in a tournament or play in a chess club. This can improve your skills and provide an official chess rating.
• Keep in mind the meaning of each piece and plan your game accordingly. For example, a rook is worth five points, while a bishop is only three. You can gain an advantage if you sacrifice your bishop to neutralize your opponent's rook.
• Before moving a piece, think through your move in detail.

Warnings

• Don't use cheap tricks like four-way checkmate. If your opponent knows about them, you are almost guaranteed to lose.
• It's okay if you don't win! It takes a lot of practice to become a pro!
• Do not rush to take the “free” pieces. Perhaps your opponent sacrificed this piece in order to exchange it for a stronger piece of yours or to carry out a diversionary maneuver.
• Don't risk the queen - it's the most valuable piece on the board!