Chess Rules for Beginners: A Simple Guide for Kids and Parents
Learn how to play chess step by step: board setup, how each piece moves, check and checkmate, castling, en passant and promotion, explained simply for kids.
3 min read
Quick answer: Chess is played by two players on an 8×8 board, each with 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops, a queen and a king. White moves first, then players take turns. The goal is checkmate: attacking the opponent's king so it cannot escape.
Chess can look complicated, but the rules fit on a single page. Here's everything a beginner needs, explained the way I teach it in our New to Chess classes.
Setting up the board
- Place the board so each player has a light square in their bottom-right corner ("light on the right").
- Back row: rooks in the corners, then knights, then bishops.
- Queen on her colour: the white queen goes on the light square, the black queen on the dark square.
- The king goes on the remaining square, next to the queen.
- Pawns fill the whole second row.
White always moves first.
How each piece moves
| Piece | How it moves | Approx. value |
|---|---|---|
| Pawn | Forward 1 square (2 on its first move); captures 1 square diagonally forward | 1 |
| Knight | In an "L": 2 squares one way, then 1 to the side. Can jump over pieces | 3 |
| Bishop | Any number of squares diagonally | 3 |
| Rook | Any number of squares in straight lines (up, down, sideways) | 5 |
| Queen | Any number of squares in straight lines or diagonally | 9 |
| King | 1 square in any direction | Priceless |
The values are a guide to help you decide whether a trade is worth it. For example, giving a knight (3) for a rook (5) is usually a good deal.
Capturing
You capture by moving your piece onto a square occupied by an opponent's piece, which is then removed from the board. Pieces capture the same way they move, except pawns, which capture diagonally.
Check, checkmate and stalemate
- Check: the king is under attack. The player must get out of check by moving the king, blocking the attack, or capturing the attacking piece.
- Checkmate: the king is in check and there's no way out. The game is over, and the checkmating player wins.
- Stalemate: the player to move is not in check but has no legal move. The game is a draw.
Young players often stalemate by accident when they're far ahead, so practise checkmating with a queen and a rook.
The three special moves
Castling
Castling is a once-per-game move that tucks your king into safety and brings a rook into play. The king moves two squares towards a rook, and the rook jumps to the square the king crossed. You can only castle if:
- Neither the king nor that rook has moved yet
- There are no pieces between them
- The king is not in check and doesn't pass through or land on an attacked square
Pawn promotion
When a pawn reaches the far side of the board, it is promoted to a queen, rook, bishop or knight. Almost always a queen! That's why pushing pawns in the endgame is so powerful.
En passant
If a pawn moves two squares forward and lands right beside an opponent's pawn, that opponent's pawn may capture it as if it had moved only one square. This must be done immediately on the very next move, or the chance is gone. It's rare, but it does come up in tournaments!
Other ways a game can be drawn
- Stalemate: described above
- Agreement: both players agree to a draw
- Threefold repetition: the same position occurs three times
- Insufficient material: neither side has enough pieces to checkmate (for example, king against king)
- The 50-move rule: 50 moves by each player with no capture or pawn move
Five tips for your first games
- Control the centre with pawns and pieces early.
- Develop your knights and bishops before moving the queen around.
- Castle early to keep your king safe.
- Before every move, ask: "What is my opponent threatening?"
- Don't give pieces away. Check that the square you're moving to isn't attacked.
Learning more
Rules are just the start. The fun begins with tactics, plans and real games against other children. In our classes, beginners usually go from learning the moves to playing full games confidently within a term. Find out what age children can start, see our Melbourne class locations, or join from home with live online classes.
Key takeaways
- Set up with a light square in each player's bottom-right corner, and remember queen on her colour.
- Each piece moves differently. The knight is the only piece that jumps over others.
- Check means the king is attacked. Checkmate means it can't escape, and that ends the game.
- Three special moves are worth learning early: castling, pawn promotion and en passant.
- A game can also be a draw, for example by stalemate or when neither side has enough pieces left to checkmate.
Frequently asked questions
Which piece is the most powerful in chess?
The queen. She can move any number of squares in a straight line or diagonally, which makes her worth about as much as two rooks. The king is the most important piece, because losing it loses the game.
Can a pawn move backwards?
No. Pawns only move forward, one square at a time (or two squares on their first move), and capture one square diagonally forward. A pawn that reaches the far side of the board is promoted to another piece, usually a queen.
What is the difference between checkmate and stalemate?
In checkmate the king is attacked and has no way to escape, and the player who delivered checkmate wins. In stalemate the king is not attacked but the player has no legal move, and the game is a draw.
Who moves first in chess?
White always moves first. After that, players take turns, one move each.