Complete guide for new players
Chess is a two-player strategy game played on an 8×8 board with 64 squares. Each player controls 16 pieces: 1 King, 1 Queen, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights and 8 Pawns.
Essential tips
- King: moves one square in any direction — protect it at all times
- Queen: moves any number of squares in any direction — the most powerful piece
- Rook: moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically
- Bishop: moves diagonally any number of squares — stays on one color all game
- Knight: moves in an L-shape (2+1 squares) and is the only piece that jumps over others
- Pawn: moves forward one square (or two on its first move), captures diagonally — promotes to any piece when reaching the back rank
🔑 The secret the best players use
Castling is the most important move in Chess: it protects your King behind pawns and activates your Rook in one move. Castle early — don't leave your King in the center.
Practice on BoardGame Battles — Free
BoardGame Battles has Chess with AI at 3 difficulty levels — perfect for practicing these techniques before facing real players online. Available on Web, Android and iOS. No download required.
▶ Play Chess Free Now