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Chess: Rules & Strategy

Understand the board, legal moves, check/checkmate, special rules, practical strategy, and typical mistakes. Use the mini checklists for recall and finish with a short knowledge check.

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Rules & basics

Setup • Turns • Check • Checkmate • Draws

Setup & objective

  • Board: 8×8 grid with alternating light/dark squares; each side starts with 16 pieces.
  • Objective: Checkmate the opponent’s king (king is attacked and cannot escape on the next move).
  • Turns: White moves first; players alternate one move at a time.

Check, mate, and draws

  • Check: Your king is attacked; you must remove the threat immediately.
  • Checkmate: King is in check and no legal move prevents capture → game over.
  • Draws: Stalemate, insufficient material, threefold repetition, fifty-move rule, or mutual agreement.

Pieces & movement

How each piece moves and typical roles

King

Moves one square in any direction. Keep safe early; becomes active in many endgames.

Queen

Moves along ranks, files, and diagonals. Very powerful; coordinate with other pieces.

Rook

Moves along ranks and files. Strong on open files; common in endgame checkmating nets.

Bishop

Moves along diagonals on one color of squares. Pair of bishops can control long diagonals.

Knight

Moves in an “L” (two in one direction, one perpendicular). Jumps over pieces; strong in closed positions.

Pawn

Moves forward 1 (from starting rank may move 2); captures diagonally forward 1. Reaches last rank → promotion.

Special rules

Castling • En passant • Promotion • Draw claims

Castling

  • King moves two squares toward rook; rook jumps next to king.
  • Allowed only if king/that rook haven’t moved, path is empty, king is not in check, and does not pass through check.

En passant

  • Available immediately after an adjacent enemy pawn advances two squares from its start and lands beside your pawn.
  • Capture as if it had moved only one square; must be done on the very next move or the chance is lost.

Promotion & draw claims

  • Promotion: Pawn reaching last rank becomes queen, rook, bishop, or knight (your choice).
  • Draw claims: Threefold repetition or fifty-move rule may be claimed when conditions are met.

Strategy & patterns

Opening • Middlegame • Endgame • Tactics

Opening ideas

  • Control the center (e4/d4/e5/d5) and develop minor pieces early.
  • Castle for king safety; connect rooks by clearing the back rank.
  • Avoid moving the same piece repeatedly without reason.

Middlegame plans

  • Improve worst-placed piece; create useful pawn breaks.
  • Coordinate attacks: open files/diagonals for rooks/bishops.
  • Watch for tactics: forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks.

Endgame basics

  • Activate the king; it becomes a strong piece here.
  • Know key concepts: opposition, outside passed pawn, “square of the pawn”.
  • Cut the enemy king with rook files/ranks before checking.

Typical pawn structures

  • Isolated pawn: activity vs. long-term target.
  • Hanging pawns: dynamic center; avoid leaving weaknesses.
  • Locked center: maneuver pieces; flank pawn breaks.

Scenarios (Do / Why / How)

Four common decision patterns

Safe development

  1. Do: Develop knights/bishops before the queen; castle early.
  2. Why: King safety and coordination reduce blunders.
  3. How: Two minor pieces out → castle → rook to open/semi-open file.

Facing a pin

  1. Do: Break the pin by challenging/neutralizing the attacker.
  2. Why: Pinned piece loses mobility; tactics on that line increase.
  3. How: H3/a3 or bishop/queen exchange; reposition king to unpin if safe.

K+P vs. K conversion

  1. Do: Use opposition to outflank and escort the pawn.
  2. Why: Proper king placement secures promotion squares.
  3. How: Step in front, maintain the move to force zugzwang.

Playing on an open file

  1. Do: Place a rook on the open file; aim to the 7th rank.
  2. Why: Invasion squares increase piece activity and threats.
  3. How: Double rooks, fix weaknesses, then penetrate carefully.

Common mistakes & fixes

Development • King safety • Overlooked tactics

Moving one piece repeatedly

Fix: Improve all pieces first; only repeat moves when it gains time/creates threats.

Delaying king safety

Fix: Castle in time; avoid opening the center with your king stuck in the middle.

Missing simple tactics

Fix: Before each move, ask: “What is attacked/undefended?” and “What changed?”

Mini checklists

Quick recall before practice

Opening

  • Control center; develop knights/bishops.
  • Castle; connect rooks later.
  • Do not bring the queen too early without reason.

Middlegame

  • Improve worst-placed piece.
  • Spot tactics (forks, pins, skewers, discoveries).
  • Plan pawn breaks that fit the structure.

Endgame

  • Activate the king.
  • Push passed pawns with support.
  • Know basic mates (K+Q vs K, K+R vs K).

Knowledge check

Instant feedback • Explanations • Retake anytime
1) Which statement about castling is correct?
2) A knight moves…
3) En passant is available when…
4) Which position is a draw by rule, not by agreement?
5) A “pin” means…
6) Promotion allows a pawn to become…
7) To meet a check, which option is not valid?
8) Threefold repetition can be claimed when…