Introduction to Chess
Chessboard Setup
The Battlefield
Every game of chess starts with an empty board. It's an 8x8 grid of 64 squares, alternating between light and dark colors. Before placing any pieces, you need to orient the board correctly. This is a simple but crucial first step.
A light square should always be in the bottom-right corner from each player's perspective. A simple way to remember this is the phrase, "white on the right."
Getting this wrong can throw off the entire setup, especially for the king and queen. With the board in place, you're ready to arrange your army.
Arranging Your Army
Each player starts with an army of 16 pieces. One player has the light-colored pieces (referred to as White), and the other has the dark-colored pieces (Black). The pieces are identical for both sides.
| Piece | Quantity |
|---|---|
| King | 1 |
| Queen | 1 |
| Rook | 2 |
| Bishop | 2 |
| Knight | 2 |
| Pawn | 8 |
The setup process is a mirror image for both players. Let's start with the back row, which is the row closest to you.
First, place a rook on each of the two corner squares. Next to the rooks, on the inside, place your knights. And next to the knights, place your bishops. This leaves two empty squares in the center of your back row for the most important pieces.
The queen always goes on the square that matches her color. The white queen starts on a light square, and the black queen starts on a dark square.
The king fills the last remaining square on the back rank, right next to his queen.
Finally, set up your eight pawns. They form a protective wall, filling the entire second row directly in front of your other pieces.
The Board's Address System
To talk about chess moves, players use a coordinate system. Each square has a unique name, like a street address. The board is mapped with letters and numbers.
file
noun
A vertical column of squares on the chessboard.
The files are labeled with letters from 'a' to 'h', starting from White's left side.
rank
noun
A horizontal row of squares on the chessboard.
The ranks are labeled with numbers from '1' to '8', starting from White's side of the board. By combining a file letter and a rank number, you can name any square. For example, the bottom-left corner square is 'a1', and the top-right corner is 'h8'.
From White's perspective, all the pieces are on ranks 1 and 2. The black pieces are on ranks 7 and 8. Knowing these coordinates is the first step to reading and recording chess games.
The principles of controlling the center, developing pieces, and ensuring king safety provide a strong foundation that applies across various opening scenarios.
Now that the board is set up, let's review the key terms.
Ready to test your knowledge?
When setting up the board from either player's perspective, the corner square on their right-hand side must be a light-colored square.
In the initial chess setup, where are the pawns placed?
With the pieces in place and an understanding of the board, you are ready for the opening move.