Everything you need to understand the game — piece movement, rules, and the three principles every player should know.
Each piece moves differently and has a point value used to evaluate trades. Learn these first.
Start here if you are new to chess. Each lesson explains one piece with a simple board diagram.
Learn how pawns move forward, capture diagonally, and why they become powerful near the end of the board.
→Learn the knight's L-shaped jump and why it can hop over other pieces.
→Learn how bishops travel diagonally and stay on the same colour for the whole game.
→Learn how rooks move in straight lines and become strong on open files.
→Learn why the queen is the most powerful piece: it combines rook and bishop movement.
→Learn how the king moves one square at a time and why keeping it safe matters most.
These rules do not happen every move, but they decide many real games. Open each lesson for the full explanation and board example.
Move the king two squares towards a rook, then the rook jumps to the other side. Learn when castling is legal and when it is not.
→Capture a pawn that just advanced two squares as if it moved only one square. Learn the timing because the chance disappears immediately.
→Turn a pawn into a queen, rook, bishop, or knight when it reaches the last rank. Learn why promotion changes the value of passed pawns.
Follow these in your opening and middlegame and you'll naturally play better chess than most beginners.
The four central squares (e4, d4, e5, d5) are the most powerful on the board. Pieces in the centre can attack in all directions. Occupy or influence those squares early.
Move each piece out from its starting square in the opening. Don't move the same piece twice before all your pieces are developed — and don't bring the queen out too early.
Castle early to tuck your king away on the side of the board. A king in the centre is a liability — your opponent will try to open the position and attack it directly.
Now that you know the basics, build on them with tactics and opening theory.