A Brief Introduction to the Rules of Chess

06.01.2010 12:47

Chess is considered a challenging game to many people. Many do not even give it a chance because it seems complicated in nature. But by learning the rules of chess, specifically the basic rules beforehand, you will have an easier time understanding and playing it.

To avoid confusion, it is good to know the way each piece is allowed to move. For instance, the king can move one space either horizontally, diagonally, or vertically per turn. A rook may move horizontally or vertically in as many spaces possible as long as they are vacant.

A bishop moves the same way as a rook except it can only move diagonally. The queen also moves like a rook except she may move diagonally also. Knights may move to spaces in an L or a seven shape. A pawn can move one space at a time if it is vacant and only in a forward direction. It may move two spaces in some cases.

When one player makes a move where the other king is put into a threatening position of capture, it is said to be in check. This means by the next turn there is a possibility it will be captured. The only way to get out of this situation is to capture the threatening piece or by blocking it from the king with another piece.

If there is no way to remove a king from check, then the king has been checkmated. This means the game has been won by one player. When a checkmate is announced by the victor, the game has come to an end.

That was a little info on learning the rules of chess. With patience and practice, this game can be learned and eventually mastered. Getting to know a little bit about it before playing helps a lot when it comes to playing and strategy.

If you ar einterested in taking this further, BeginnerChess.org is a free website that introduces all the rules of chess using easy to understand lessons, articles, videos, games and more.

Mark_Beljaars