CHESS RULES
How to play chess: how the pieces move, castling, en passant, promotion, check, checkmate and stalemate, draw rules and opening principles for beginners.
What is chess?
Chess is a two-player strategy game on an 8×8 board. The goal is to attack the enemy king so it cannot escape: checkmate. This guide covers the standard rules, all of which are implemented in YOZGAMES Chess.
How the pieces move
- King: one square in any direction, never onto an attacked square.
- Queen: any distance straight or diagonally.
- Rook: any distance horizontally or vertically.
- Bishop: any distance diagonally.
- Knight: an "L" shape; the only piece that jumps over others.
- Pawn: one square forward, two on its first move; captures diagonally forward.
Special moves
- Castling: if neither king nor rook has moved, the squares between are empty, and the king is not in check and does not pass through or land on an attacked square, the king moves two squares toward the rook and the rook jumps to its other side.
- En passant: if an enemy pawn advances two squares to land beside your pawn, you may capture it next move as if it had moved one.
- Promotion: a pawn reaching the last rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight; in YOZGAMES Chess you choose.
Check, checkmate and stalemate
A king under attack is in check and must get out of it at once. If it can't, that is checkmate and the game is lost. If it is your turn, you are not in check and you have no legal move, the game is a stalemate draw.
Other draws
- 50-move rule: 50 moves with no pawn move and no capture.
- Threefold repetition: the same position occurs three times.
- Insufficient material: not enough pieces to mate (in YOZGAMES: the two kings plus at most one bishop or knight in total).
Opening principles
- Control the centre with central pawns.
- Develop knights and bishops early; don't move the same piece again and again.
- Castle early to keep your king safe.
- Don't bring the queen out too soon.
- Check every move for threats and loose pieces.
Play chess free against a three-level bot or two players on one device, with legal-move hints on the board and undo.