How to play

Initial position. First row: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, and rook. Second row: pawns.

Chess is played on a square board of eight

&nbspFor the purpose of explaining the board I will teach you chess notations also known as "algebraic" notations, if you have a board it might be a good idea to use it while you learn this material. If you have a board in front of you turn it until the bottom right hand sqare is a light color. &nbspFirst I will explain files and ranks on the board. &nbspThe files go across the board from the queen side rook to the king side rook or the dark square on the bottom left hand of the board to the last light square at bottom right hand of the board, the sqares are labled a,b,c,d,e,f,g,and h from left to right on white's side of the board. The ranks are vertically aligned on the board, they start at the first sqare for white, the squares are numbered 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8 as you go up the board. So starting with the queen side rook or the white rook on the bottom left hand corner of the board its starting position is (a1), the square immediatly above it is (a2), the square immediatly to the right is (b2) and so on and so on. Please look at the picture below for an example of how the files and ranks are labled. Now a reference to the abbreviations used to represent the pieces.

• Pawn - Has no abbreviation, and is described by the square it is currently on. So if your opening move was moving your king's pawn to the square directly above it, it would be referenced as (e3) in chess notations. When ever a piece captures another piece in chess it is represented by an x in chess notations. If a pawn captures a piece the notation is represented by the original file a,b,c,d,e,f,g,or h the pawn was on and the sqare it captures the piece on, for example (exd4), (e) represents the original file the pawn was on and (xd4) represents the square that the pawn captured on.
• Knight - The knight is given the symbol (N) in chess notations. So if you read a notation saying (Nf3) that represents the knight taking on that square the f3 square. If the knight captures another piece the notation would resemble (Nxe5). &nbspPlease note the file (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h)of the knight if another knight on the board can achieve the same position or make the same capture, example (Nfxe5) (Nf represents the file the knight originated on and (xe5) represents the square the knight captured on. If two knights are on the same row and can capture or move to the same square then you would list the rank of the knight that moved on that turn. (example N3xe5) (N3 represents the original posistion of the knight and (xe5) representing the square the knight captured on.
• Bishop - The bishop is given the symbol (B) in chess notations. So if you read a notation saying (B3) it represents the position the bishop has taken on the board. The bishops on each side can only move on either light squares or dark squares so a capture would simply be represented by (Bx followed by capturing square). So if the bishop captured on (c6) the notation would read (Bxc6).
• Rook- The rook is given the symbol (R) in chess notations. So if you read a notation (Re1) then R equals rook and e1 is the sqare the rook has taken on. If the rook captures another piece the notation would resemble (Rxe7) depending on the square the rook captured on. Please note the file of the rook if another rook is able to achieve the same posistion or make the same capture on the board, for example (Rexe7) (Re) describes the original file of the rook and (xe7) represents the capture on (e7). If both rooks are on the same file please use the rank of the rook that moved or captured on that turn (example R4f6 same as the example shown for knights).
• Queen - The queen is given the symbol (Q) in chess notations. So if you read a notation (Qh5) that represents the square the queen has taken on. &nbspIf the queen captures another piece the notation would resemble (Qxe5) the end depending on the square the queen has captured on.
• King - The king is given the symbol (K) in chess notations. &nbspSo if you read a notation (Kf1) that would represent the square the king has taken on. &nbspIf the king captures another piece the notation would resemble (Kxf2) the end once again depending on the square the king has captured on. .