Perhaps the most well-known tabletop game in history is chess. The Queen’s Gambit, one of the most well-liked Netflix programs in recent years, was inspired by this game that has been played and adored by people worldwide for centuries.
Chess is a game frequently introduced to us as youngsters, but for some people, it has been a while since their last game. We accept newcomers and experienced players, and we go over some fundamental chess rules that you might have missed, such as en passant and castling, and teach you how to move and capture pieces.
What is Chess?
Chess is a two-player board game that mimics a conflict between rival kingdoms. One of the most played games worldwide is this one. Millions of people play it both for leisure and in competition.
There is no secret information in the turn-based strategy game of chess. Because of this, there is hardly any element of luck in the game.
Around the sixth century AD, chess made its debut in India, and by the tenth century, it had traveled from Asia to the Middle East and Europe. Chess has been referred to as the “royal game” since the 15th century due to the nobility’s love of the game. Early in the 19th century, both set design and rules had attained their current state. Chess, once a classy cerebral pastime, had a meteoric rise in popularity in the 20th century as players from the professional and state-sponsored circuits battled for a coveted world championship title and rising tournament payouts. Men, women, and kids worldwide now participate in organized chess tournaments, postal correspondence games, and online chess.
What are the Characteristics of the game?
On a board with 64 squares, chess is played. The board is divided into eight vertical rows called files, and eight horizontal rows called ranks. Two colors are alternated in these squares: one light color, like white, beige, or yellow, and the other dark color, like black or green. The board is positioned between the two competitors, each with a light-colored square in the corner on the right.
Players can use several notational styles to record individual moves and whole games. Algebraic or coordinate notation, by far the most popular form, indicates each square from the player’s perspective using the light-colored pieces known as White. The numbers 1 through 8 are assigned to the eight ranks, starting with the rank closest to White. Starting with the file in White’s left hand, the files are labeled with the letters a through h. A square’s letter and number are combined to form its name, such as “b3” or “g8.” Files a through d are referred to as the queenside, whereas files e through h are referred to as the kingside.
What are the Basic Moves of the game?
Two armies are engaged in combat on the board to capture the opposing team’s monarch. The 16 pieces that make up a player’s army are placed in the two ranks next to them to start the game. There are six distinct pieces: king, rook, bishop, queen, knight, and pawn. The pieces can be identified by their physical characteristics and patterns of movement. White makes the first move as the players continue to trade turns.
The Pawn
Pawns advance one space up the board unless it is their first move, in which case they can advance two spaces. Notably, they are immobile in reverse.
The pawn, the only chess piece that captures differently from how it moves, takes pieces one square diagonally. Additionally, it is the only piece capable of capturing under the unique en passant rule.
The Knight
The knight advances either two squares vertically and one square horizontally or vice versa. The knight’s movements resemble an uppercase “L.”
The only pieces that can leap over other pieces are knights, which capture by landing on top of a piece.
The Bishop
The bishop has unlimited diagonal movement. The bishop can never step on squares that are a different color than the one it started on due to how it moves. Light-squared and dark-squared bishops are the players’ first two pieces in the game.
The Rook
Each side starts the game with two rooks, historically known as castles, on the corner squares a1 and h1 for White and a8 and h8 for Black. A rook can travel vertically or horizontally along the file or rank it is put to any open square.
The Queen
One queen, which combines the abilities of the rook and bishop and is the most mobile and potent piece, is available to each player. The black queen is first at d8, followed by the White Queen.
The King
The King is only permitted to travel to one place every round, in any direction, and to capture similarly. He is the unit that, despite your best efforts, you never manage to catch. Moving one’s king into a check, where it might be captured on the following move but still has a chance to escape, is not permitted. A check that results from an opponent’s move must be swiftly resolved to win the game. Checkmate happens when your king is unable to advance safely.
Check and Checkmate
A player’s king is in check when an adversary piece attacks it. The player whose king is under attack must either use one of their pieces to defend the king, relocate the king out of the attacker’s line of sight, or capture the attacking piece. The attacked player loses the game if they cannot do anything because the king is in checkmate, often known as “mate.”
Castling
Players can build a castle at the same time as developing a rook to safeguard their king. The rook from that side jumps over the king and lands next to it when a player castles, moving their king two squares to either side.
Pawn Promotion
Pawns can advance into any minor or major piece once they reach the rank furthest from where they began. When White’s pawns reach the eighth rank, Black advances to the first.
Pawns can advance to any piece, no matter how many or which other pieces are still on the board.
En Passant Capture
The en passant rule in chess is the most confusing for a novice player. Under the following circumstances, a specific kind of rule permits pawns to seize the control of another pawn:
- The capturing pawn is three levels removed from its starting rank.
- A rival pawn on a neighboring file advances two squares in a single move, landing next to the pawn that is being captured.
- When the pawn being captured is placed near the capturing pawn during the turn that follows the previous turn, an en passant capture occurs.
The attacking player can make the en passant capture if all the prerequisites are met. The assaulting pawn advances the captured pawn by one square, moving one square diagonally.
Learn to play Chess Online
There are a lot of techniques to sharpen your mind, but nothing beats playing chess. Chess is one of the world’s most well-liked and esteemed games and is regarded as an intellectual game. Therefore, there must be something about this game that draws people in. This game is usually linked to cunning and planning. Numerous methods promote the healthy growth of your brain. You will undoubtedly become more imaginative, skilled, and productive if your brain is healthy. Let’s examine how chess online can advance your knowledge.
Playing on Foony is a great place to start. Enjoy yourself while learning new things while you play chess online. Now that it’s your turn, this chess game has already changed the lives of numerous players.
