Basic Chess Rules Explained Simply

Learn the essential chess rules: correct board setup and rules of chess, how each piece moves, special rules like castling and the en passant rule in chess, plus chess draw rules such as stalemate and the 50 move rule. Perfect for chess rules for beginners.

Board orientation: place a light square on the bottom-right.

How to Set Up a Chess Board: A Quick Chess Board Setup Guide


Chess Board Setup & Basic Rules

  • Back rank: R, N, B, Queen on her color, King, B, N, R.
  • Pawns: eight pawns on the second rank (White) / seventh rank (Black).
  • White moves first; players alternate turns.

Initial position – ready to play.

Initial chess position


Chess Piece Rules: How Each Piece Moves

Pawn

  • Moves 1 forward; from the start may move 2.
  • Captures 1 diagonally forward; no backward moves.
  • Can use en passant; promotes on the last rank.
Chess pawn moves


Rook

  • Any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
Chess rook moves


Knight

  • Moves in an “L” (2 + 1), can jump over pieces.
Knight moves illustration


Bishop

  • Moves any number of squares diagonally; always stays on its color.
  • Great on long diagonals; use pawn breaks to open lines.

From d4.

Bishop moves


Queen

  • Combines rook + bishop power: ranks/files and diagonals.
  • Most powerful attacker—don’t expose her too early.

From d4.

Queen moves


King

  • Moves one square in any direction; cannot move into check.
  • Centralize in endgames; keep safe in the middlegame (often via castling).

Example from e4.

King moves dots


Special Chess Rules

Castling Rules

  • King and rook have not moved, no pieces between, king doesn’t castle through/into check.
How to castle in chess


En Passant Rule

If a pawn advances two squares and lands adjacent to your pawn, you may capture it as if it moved one square—only on the very next move.

En passant example


Pawn Promotion

When a pawn reaches the last rank, it must be promoted to a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight (usually a Queen).

Pawn promotion


Check, Checkmate & Stalemate

  • Check → must escape (move, block, or capture).
  • Checkmate → no legal moves while in check (game over).
  • Stalemate → no legal moves, not in check (draw).
Simple checkmate pattern

FEN (mate motif) : 7k/6Q1/7R/8/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1

Stalemate corner (not in check, no legal moves): Black king h8; White queen g6, king f7.

Stalemate example

FEN (stalemate) : 7k/5K2/6Q1/8/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 1

Draw Rules in Chess

50-Move Rule

If fifty consecutive moves by each side occur without a capture or pawn move, either player may claim a draw.

Threefold Repetition

Same position occurs three times with the same player to move and same rights (castling / en passant).

Insufficient Material

Checkmate is impossible (e.g., King vs King; King & Bishop vs King; King & Knight vs King).

Insufficient material – kings only

FEN : 4k3/8/8/8/8/8/8/4K3 w - - 0 1