King
One square in any direction. You cannot move into check. If the king is lost, the game is over — so we never “take” it; we mate or resign.
About Chess · How to Play
The rules you need for club night.
White moves first. Each turn you move one piece (except castling). Capture by landing on an opponent’s square. The aim is checkmate — the king is attacked and has no legal escape.
01 / The pieces
How each one moves.
Queen
Any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. The most powerful piece on a modern set.
Rook
Any number of squares along a rank or file. Needs open lines. Castles with the king.
Bishop
Any number of squares diagonally. Each bishop stays on its own color for the whole game.
Knight
An L: two squares then one to the side. The only piece that jumps. Always lands on the opposite color.
Pawn
Forward one (two on its first move). Captures one square diagonally forward. Never moves backward.
02 / Special moves
Castling, en passant, promotion.
Castling is the only time you move two pieces: king two squares toward a rook, rook hops to the other side. Both must be unmoved, the squares between empty, and the king not in check or passing through check.
En passant (“in passing”): if an enemy pawn jumps two squares and lands beside yours, you may capture it as if it had moved only one — but only on the next move.
Promotion: a pawn that reaches the far rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop, or knight. Almost always a queen.
Check, mate, stalemate
Three words you will hear constantly.
Check — the king is attacked. You must get out: move the king, block, or capture the attacker.
Checkmate — the king is in check and none of those three work. That player loses.
Stalemate — the side to move has no legal move, and is not in check. The game is a draw. Beginners stumble into this; it is worth learning early.
03 / Notation
The shorthand on a scoresheet.
Files are a–h left to right from White’s side. Ranks are 1–8. Pieces (except pawns) get a letter: K, Q, R, B, N. So Nf3 is knight to f3. e4 is a pawn to e4. x means capture. + is check. # is mate. 0-0 and 0-0-0 are king- and queenside castling.
You do not need fluent notation for casual club night. You will want it for a first rated game.