subject: How to Set Up a Chess Set Properly [print this page] How to Set Up a Chess Set Properly How to Set Up a Chess Set Properly
It is a war game that is played on a board consisting of 64 squares of alternating colors. These squares are called light and dark squares. The pieces are typically black and white, with white making the first move in the classic startup. Each side has 16 pieces, as follows:
Eight Pawns (Soldiers)
Two Rooks (Castles)
Two Bishops (Priests)
Two Knights (Guardians)
One King and One Queen (the Royalty)
To set up the chess board, set it so that one side of the board is right in front of you with eight squares running left to right.
Set your players as follows:
On the end row (closest to you):
At each end, place a Rook
Moving inward towards the middle, place a Bishop next to each Rook.
Now place a Knight next to each Bishop.
Place your King on the remaining square on the right.
Place your Queen on the last square.
On the row in front of the Rooks, Bishops, Knights and Royalty, place the eight Pawns, one per square, from left to right. The pawns job is to protect the King at all costs.
One way to remember where the King and Queen are placed is to put the King on its OPPOSITE color square. If the King is white, it is placed on the dark square. If it is black, it goes on the light square. This is the same in every instance.
The pieces all move in a specific manner during game play. Here is a synopsis of each pieces move ability:
Rooks may move any number of squares either vertically or horizontally, but can NOT jump other pieces.
Bishops may move any number of squares diagonally, but can NOT jump other pieces.
Knights may move 2 squares horizontally or vertically, then one square over in either direction in an "L" shape. The Knight is the only piece that can jump other pieces on the board.
The King may move one square in any direction on a given turn. The only exception is the "Castle" move where a Rook may move two squares towards the King and the King moves two squares in the opposite direction. The result is the Rook and King on opposite sides of each other. This can be done on either side of the board as long as neither the Rook nor the King have moved yet during the game.
The Queen may move any number of squares in any direction she so pleases, but can NOT jump other pieces.
Pawns may move one OR two squares on their first move, then one square per move afterward.
When set up properly, your "Armies" will be facing each other across the battlefield. The object of the game is to capture or kill the other players King. The first one to do that wins the game.
Two special rules:
You may not move your King into "Check".
If a King is in "Check", it must be moved out of harms way or blocked from capture regardless of the cost. If a King has no move that protects it or takes it out of danger of being captured, "Checkmate" is declared and ends the game.
Learn more about chess piece set up, buying chess pieces, and the various styles of chess pieces
