Learn what each piece is and how it moves. Every type of piece moves differently. Here are the names of every piece and how they move (with one or two exceptions, that we'll cover in a bit):

• The pawn: The most basic piece in the game (you have 8 of them). On its initial move, it can move forward one or two vacant spaces, but it is only allowed to move forward by one vacant space afterwards. Pawns cannot move forward if they are blocked by an enemy piece but can capture those that are situated one space diagonally in front. The pawn is the only piece that cannot move backwards and is also the only piece that captures in a way that is different from how it normally moves.
• The rook: It looks like a castle tower. It can move horizontally or vertically as many spaces as are available. It can capture enemy pieces in its path.
• The knight: It's represented by a horse and is the most complicated unit. It moves in an 'L' shapes that consist of two spaces horizontally then one space vertically, or one space horizontally then two spaces vertically. The knight is the only piece that can jump other pieces (both friend and enemy). However, he only captures an enemy piece if it is in the space where he settles.
• The bishop: It can only move diagonally, but it can move an unlimited amount of spaces in that direction. It can capture enemy pieces in its path.
• The queen: She is the most powerful piece (usually has a more feminine crown). She can move either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally by any number of spaces and capture from any of those directions.
• The king: He can only move one space each turn in any direction and captures in the same manner. He is the unit you do not want to lose at all cost but is never actually captured. It is an illegal move for a player to move his own king into check. A check that occurs as a result of an opponent's move must be resolved immediately, and checkmate loses the game.
• Remember the strong points of the pieces.
  • The king is valuable and must be protected.
  • The queen is the most versatile piece and is the most useful for supporting pieces, and often used for forking. The queen combines the power of a bishop and a rook in one piece. She is considered to be the most valuable, next to the King.
  • Knights are excellent for surprise attacks and forks. Their pattern of movement is often missed and confusing to novice players.
  • Bishops tend to be an excellent in an open position. However many novice players often underestimate bishops and do not make full use of them.
  • Rooks are strong and have a long range of movement. They work best on open files.
  • Pawns may seem insignificant, but they can be great for trapping an opponent when sacrificed to capture a more valuable piece. If played right, a pawn can even checkmate the King!

Chess Rules For Kids Pdf

Simple Chess Rules For Kids

Basic chess rules. Setting up the board: The board should be set up with the white square in the nearest row on the right, “white on the right”. If this isn’t done the king and queen will be mixed up. Shake hands across the board before the game starts. White always moves first. Ranks and files: Going from left to right, the vertical.