Rules of Chess Online

Ages: 10 to Adult
Number of Players: 2
Time Needed: 45 minutes to 3 hours

The Origins of Chess

The origins of chess are detailed and complex, as it is has been around for quite a while. Some sources trace the origins of chess back to 550 AD in India, and some claim that it's origins are actually in China, much earlier. Either way, the shape of chess in its beginnings was quite different that what it looks like now. For instance, instead of a "Rook", there was an "Elephant". It is said that is was originally used to teach strategy to persian princes.

How the Chess Pieces Move

Pawn - Worth 1 Point

A pawn is the smallest piece on the board. It can move one or two squares forward on its first move, and one square forward in later moves. To take another piece, it must attack diagnally one square. So, if there is a piece directly in front of the pawn, it cannot move unless there is a piece it can attack at a diagnal.

Knight - Worth 3 Points

The knight moves two squares in one direction, and one square in a 90 degree angle from the original direction, in an "L" shape. The knight can leap over other pieces.

Bishop - Worth 3 Points

The Bishop can move diagnally any number of spaces in a single direction at a time. It cannot leap over pieces, and it attacks diagnally.

Rook (or Castle) - Worth 5 Points

The Rook moved forward, backward and sideways any number of spaces in a single direction at a time. It cannot leap over pieces, and attacks in the direction it is moving.

Queen - Worth 7 Points

The Queen can move in any direction, including forward, backward, sidways or diagnally, any number of squares in a single direction at a time. It cannot leap over pieces and attacks in the direction it is moving. It is the most powerful piece on the board.

King

The King can move a single square in any direction at a single time, and attacks in the direction it moves.

The Rules of Chess

The rules of chess are fairly simple once you understand how each piece can and cannot move. A common way to choose which player plays which color, a player will grab a pawn of each color, will conceil their hands to mix up the pieces, and then will present closed fists, each with a pawn inside, to the opposite player. That player will then choose a fist, and will be assigned the color of the pawn in that fist. White always goes first.

The players then alternate turns, going back and forth moving according the individual rules of each piece. When a piece puts the opposing player's king in danger, i.e., it could capture the king in the next turn, then that player delares "check". When "in check" the opposing player must move a piece in a way to get "out of check".

One important rule is that the king cannot move into "check", in otther words into a position where they are being directly threatened by another piece.

Winning Chess

A player wins when they put the opposing player in "checkmate", which is when the opposing player cannot get out of "check". If for some reason a player is not in check, but still cannot move any pieces (i.e., the king is the only piece left and it cannot move to any other square without being put into check), it results in a "draw" where neather player wins.

Special Chess Moves

Castling

Castling is a special move that can be done once only by each player, and is done typically to move the king into a more protected situation. To Castle, a player moves their king two spaces towards a rook, and moves that rook to the square directly on the other side of the king. Here are some special rules regarding castling:

• Castling can only be done when the king and the rook chosen have not yet moved during the game.
• Castling cannot be done if the king moves across a space that would put it in check.
• Castling cannot be done through other pieces, meaning that the squares between the rook and the king must be empty.

En Passant (in passing)

I didn't learn about this funky little move until my later years. Here's how it works: say you have worked a pawn to your opponant's side, and if they move one of their pawns one space you can attack them. If they move thier pawn two spaces foward in order to dodge your attack, you can then capture their peice by moving your pawn into the space where the opposing pawn would have been if it moved a single space. It's odd, but makes sense.

If you have comments, variations or suggestions on this game, please .