The chess board setup is like the first move in a chess player’s life. To play chess you have to know the chess board setup and some common chess rules. You know that chess is one of the oldest games in sports history. Chess was first played in India and gradually spread throughout the world. The International Chess Federation FIDE has provided some chess rules for chess board setup and playing chess. Today we will gain a clear concept of chess so let’s begin.
Chess Imagination for beginner
Chess is a game. Before knowing the chess board setup and chess rules you need to know the game of chess. Especially you have to use your imagination. Imagine you are a king of a kingdom. You have a queen who serves also as a commander-in-chief . You and your entire army have a certain type of clothing. It can be white or black. You have a pair of gunboats, a pair of excellent horses and elephants. You have many soldiers too.
A king of another kingdom is waiting in front of you to invade and take over your kingdom. He has an equal number of gunboats, horses, elephants and soldiers. He has a queen who serves also as a commander-in-chief as you. He and his entire army have a certain type of clothing like you but that’s completely different. You and your opponent have the same power.
Now you have to fight your opponent. You control your soldiers and so do your opponents. Whoever can conduct the battle with skill will win. You have to mind that you can not kill your opponent king. He has to be arrested with respect. Reason to say with respect he or someone in his army should be allowed to move.
If you annoy him three times in a row the result of the battle will be drawn. This may be the best fictional idea of chess by real-life. Now you have to know the chess board setup and chess rules so that you can paly chess with integrity and discipline.
The Process Of Chess Board Setup
The battlefield that we envisioned in the beginning. The chess board is that battlefield. It has eight vertical columns and eight horizontal rows. This creates 64 equal squares, both squares are dark or light. If the first square is white the nearest square is black then white. Gradually we learn a complete chess board setup.
Chess File Introduction
You should remember that every vertical column is called a file. These files are named as “a”, “b”, “c”, “d”, “e”, “f”, “g” & “h”. When you play with white pieces, on the left side or the first file of the board will be “a” then “b” and the right side or the last file of the board will be “h”. A very basic chess rules you have to remember that the last square of your right hand is always light , never dark.
So when you play with black pieces, on the left side or the first file of the board will be “h “ then “g” and the right side or the last file of the board will be “a”. Same as before you have to remember that the last square of your right hand is always light , never dark.
Chess Rank Introduction
You might think, horizontal rows have a name? Yes, the name is rank. These ranks are named as “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”, “6”, “7” & “8”. When you play with white pieces, your king and other powers stand on 1st rank and all your pawns are in the 2nd rank. The position of power has to be discussed in detail in stages. So when you play with black pieces, your king and other powers stand on 8th rank and all your pawns are in the 7th rank.
You might think, what can be the name of the 64 squares? The name of the square is the name of the column and row join point like e5, f6, d3, a1,h6 etc.
Chess Pieces Introduction and Setup Pieces
Chess pieces setup is a part of chess board setup or we can also say this after chess board setup now we will setup chess pieces. In a chess board there are six types of pieces. Each type of piece has different qualities and abilities. Each piece is important because of the variety and they perform important duties at various stages of the game. Let’s know all the pitches and set them.
The King
There is a great similarity between the king of chess and the king of reality, the king is always omnipotent. You have to play with the king’s safety in mind first. The opponent will always try to arrest your king. The power of the king is infinite. He can move every single square around him, if the square is not in control of his own or his opponent’s piece.
If the opponent’s control square is controlled by the king, the king cannot move to that square. You have to respect your opponent, be it king or a soldier. It’s the beauty of chess. By the chess rules, e1 is the initial stage of white king and e8 for black.
The Queen
The Queen is the most important piece of chess board after the king. A queen can move himself horizontally, vertically or diagonally. If there is a piece on his path he can’t go over it. The value of the queen is 9 points and it’s a major piece. It can checkmate your opponent alone with your king. By the chess rules, d1 is the initial stage of white queen and d8 for black.
The Rook
The rook is another important piece of chess board after the queen. In chess, each opponent has two rooks. Rook can move himself horizontally and vertically. If there is a piece on his path he can’t go over it. The value of the rook is 5 points and it’s a major piece. It can checkmate your opponent alone with your king like queen. By the chess rules, a1 and h1 are the initial stages of white rook and a8 and h8 for black.
The Bishop
The Bishop is another important piece of chess board. In chess, each opponent has two bishops. Bishop can move himself diagonally. If there is a piece on its path the bishop can’t go over it. The value of the bishop is 3 points and it’s a minor piece. It can’t checkmate your opponent alone with your king like a queen or rook.
But if you have a pair of bishops it is more dangerous than a rook, sometimes queen. They can checkmate your opponent easily. According to the chess rules of FIDE, c1 and f1 are the initial stages of white bishop and c8 and f8 for black.
The Knight
The Knight is a very important piece of chess board especially in the middle game. Knight is the only piece which is used to start the game as an opening move without a pawn. In chess, each opponent has two knights. Knight can move himself as “L” shape. If there are pieces around it, it can go over it. The value of the knight is 3 points and it’s a minor piece.
It can’t checkmate your opponent alone with your king as like a queen, rook or bishop pair. But if you have a pair of knights These will cause your opponent a major headache in the middle game of chess. Knight is the best defender of chess. According to the chess rules of FIDE, b1 and g1 are the initial stages of white knight and b8 and g8 for black.
Pawns
The pawn is another important piece of chess board. Normally a chess game starts by pushing a pawn one square or two. In chess, each opponent has eight pawns. Pawn can advance itself and capture the opponent piece diagonally. But it can’t come back. If there is a piece or pawn on his path the pawn can’t go over that. Some pawns provide protection to the king and Some take part in attacks.
By the chess rules, a2 to h2 are the initial stages of white pawns and a7 to h7 for black. The value of each pawn is 1 point but it can be promoted to last rank then it will be a major piece like queen which is 9 point, rook which is 5 point, may be bishop or knight which is 3 point.
Sometimes it can be more powerful than a minor piece like bishop or knight, it can be more powerful than a major piece like rook especially in the end game. A six rank connected pass-pawn is more powerful than any major or minor piece of the board. The power of pawns or Analyzing the role of pawns in chess is very difficult.
Starting Preparation of Chess
Much thought has been given. we have learned chess board setup, let the game begin. Chess is a two player game so the chess board sits between you and your opponent. Every chess piece is well decorated like your thought. You are white, the opponent is black or the opponent white you are black.
You are waiting for battle but put your hand forward with a smile on your face. Give a cordial handshake and invite white to play. If you are white you can move your piece and start the game then your opponent will make a move. Thus the game will continue. Here we have learned two important chess rules that’s …
- Handshakes must be done sincerely.
- White will start the game by giving the first move.
Pawn Promotion
When a pawn reaches the last square of the opposite side of the chess board, that pawn is replaced as major or minor pieces as an intention of promotor. This is called a pawn promotion. According to FIDE, you should mind a vital chess rules that a pawn is the only piece that may be promoted in a chess game as extra pieces like Queen, Rook, Bishop Or Knight. Even if promoted pieces are already on the board or not this is not considered as a matter.
The Rules Of King Safety
Ensuring king safety is the most important task in chess. If your king is safe you can move all your pieces normally. Castling is that special move which can ensure safety for your king in the game. In castling the king and rook can move simultaneously by rules. The king moves two squares left or right (King site or Queen site) and the rook jumps over the king and lands on the next square of the king.
Rules of Castling
To castling in a chess game you have to honor the FIDE chess rules.
- You can not move your king or rook before castling.
- There will be no pieces between king and rook.
- You can not move your king for castling while in check or through check.
- During the castling the king must move first and stop after placing the rook.
- You can’t if you don’t want to castling.
Rules Of En Passant
Normally a pawn steps forward one or two squares. If you are black side, your pawn is in the 4th rank and your opponent pawn steps forward two squares, these two pawns will be positioned side by side. In the very immediate move your pawn can capture your opponent’s pawn, as like have forwarded as one square.
If you are white side, your pawn is in the 5th rank and your opponent pawn steps forward two squares, these two pawns will be positioned side by side. In the very immediate move your pawn can capture your opponent’s pawn, as like your opponent has come as one square so. This particular process of pawn forwarding and capturing is called En Passant in chess parlance according to FIDE.
Rules Of Draws
None will win or lose in the game; this is called a draw. There are several types of draws in the chess games.
Insufficient Material
When none has enough material to checkmate his opponent ; According to FIDE the game result is Draw. You must have enough powerful pieces to defeat the opponent’s king. For example, you have a queen with which you can capture your opponent’s king. Even you have a Rook or 2 Bishops, you can also capture opponent. If you don’t have, then the game will be a draw.
Draw Offer
Sometimes a player offers his opponent to draw the game and his opponent accepts. The game is then declared as a draw. If the opponent does not accept; Then the game will not be drawn. The game will continue.
Rules of Stalemate
When you or your opponent has no possible legal move and the king is not in check that is called stalemate. Inexperience and time pressure can be the main cause of stalemate in a game.
Threefold Repetition
When the same position occurs three times in a single game it is then declared as a draw. It is one of the oldest rules of chess.
Checkmate
A chess player plays chess with a goal to checkmate his opponent. When a king is arrested by check and the king has no square to move, that is called checkmate. This is the final stage of the game. You have finishes battle. You have win or lost but put your hand forward with a smile on your face. Give a cordial handshake and say well played.
In this short discussion we have learned about Chess Board Set Up. Chess piece setup rules on the board. We understand chess, understand chess pieces and understand basic rules. So let’s go and start playing chess.
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