Chess Software
Chess Playing Chess Training Database Mgmt Chess Databases Chess for MAC Chess Handhelds
Chess Equipment
Chess Sets/Pieces Chess Boards Chess Boxes/Bags Chess Computers Chess Clocks Schools/Clubs
Chess by Subject
Beginners Chess for Kids Chess Openings      King's Pawn      Queen's Pawn      Various  Middlegame  Endgame   Biographies  Tournaments  Classic Chess  General
Chess by Format
Chess in Print Chess on CD Chess E-Books Chess Download Chess DVDs Chess Magazines
Chess & Beyond
Chess Accessories Chess Art Variant Software eClassics Gift Ideas Gift Wrap
Ordering Info
Shipping Rates Delivery Time Returns Privacy Security Help Contact Us Affiliate Program Link to Us

Chess Goldmine!

Battle Chess and Battle Chess 4000
Chess Software
FREE Demo
 Chess Download!

Read about ChessCentral
 in the
 New York Times

Chess Forum
Help, Tips and
Discussion

Chess Rules

The Queen

In this position two Queens, a Rook, a Bishop and the two Kings are on the board. The Black Queen a4 which can move like a Rook or like a Bishop has the following moves at its disposal: to b4, c4, d4, capture on e4, a1, a2, a3, a5, a6, a7, a5, b5. c6, d7, b3, capture of c2. The White Queen, however, has a very limited range, because it is "pinned" by the Rook e8. If the pin would be released it could go to h7 and there, supported by the Bishop c2, Checkmate the King; as it is, the Queen must either capture the Rook e5 or suffer capture by that piece.

The Knight

Here are four Knights on the board, and a Rook and a Bishop and the two Kings. Two of the Knights are immobile, Knight e2 on account of the Bishop h5 and the Knight g7 because of the Rook g3: they must protect their Kings. The Knight f5 can move to one of the following squares : e7, d6, d4, e3, g3 (whereby it captures the Rook) h4, h6. The shortest jump on the Chessboard is, namely, to take two squares (in the air) in a line or row and one square perpendicularly thereto. That movement allows to Knight f5 eight possibilities, but in the above position one of these, on the square g7, is taken away by the obstruction of a Knight partisan to Knight f5. The Knight f6 has eight possible moves: it threatens the hostile King, "gives Check," or "Checks," and the King will have to fly, for instance, to f7, in order to save himself.

The Pawn

Here you see 16 Pawns, therefore all that were in the box, and two Rooks, one Bishop, one Knight, the two Kings besides. At the beginning of the game the White Pawns are placed on the second row and the Black Pawns on the seventh row; thence they move or capture ahead towards the enemy, the White Pawns from below upwards, the Black Pawns in the opposite direction. For instance, Pawn d4 may capture e5 and conversely, because the Pawns, though moving ahead in their file, capture obliquely, always advancing towards the enemy.

The above position shows three immobile Pawns, "blocked" Pawns: g3, g4, and f7. Pawn g3 is blocked by g4, because the Pawn does not capture straight ahead but obliquely. The position shows nine Pawns standing on the squares where they stood at the start of the game: a2, b2 e2, f2, h2, a7, b7, c7, f7; they have not moved yet; the other seven Pawns have advanced during the progress of the game. The Pawn d4 has two possible moves: to advance to d5 or to capture e5. The Pawn c3 has only one possible move: to advance to c4.

Now the rule was introduced about four centuries ago that Pawns in their initial position and which are not blocked may advance one or two steps according to the plan of the player. This rule made the game more lively, and therefore the Chess world accepted it in time. For instance, Pawn a2 may advance to a3 or to a4 in one move.

With this rule a difficulty arose. Its object was to accelerate the pace of the Chess events and to add to their variety, but it betrayed sometimes the obvious rights of the opponent. To illustrate this point, observe the two Pawns f2 and g4. The Pawn g4 stands on guard over f3. If f2 advances to f3, g4 can capture it; thus it had been for many centuries; after the introduction of the new rule Pawn f2 could evade Pawn g4 by advancing at once to f4 and could then molest Black unpunished. Naturally, the Pawn g4 on guard felt itself deceived, when the hostile Pawn crept through the advance posts. There were scenes of hot dispute. It could not be the meaning of the innovation to make the advancing Pawn immune. And finally justice was victorious: the Pawn standing on guard was acceded the right of capture, just as if the Pawn trying to slip through had advanced one step only; but the Pawn on guard cannot defer this movement but must execute it without loss of time as an immediate reply to the attempted advance. If, for instance, in the above position White moves f2-f4 Black may answer g4 captures f3, thus executing his original intention of capturing the Pawn on f3. This species of capture is named "capture in passing" or, with the French expression capture "en passant". If the Pawn, after f2-f4, is not immediately captured by g4 "in passing," it stays unmolested on f4 and has thereafter to contend only with the hostile Pawns of the f and e files.

The Pawns only advancing ahead arrive, in advancing row by row finally to the eighth row where according to the rule they would come to a barrier and would be immobile. Should this signify their death? Should they now become useless after having done their duty and fought their way through the ranks of the enemy? That would not be in keeping with justice. Since in a struggle it is honorable to draw upon oneself the fire of the enemy and to do him harm, the Pawn advancing to the last row is rewarded by becoming an "officer" in its army; it is changed for a Queen, Rook, Bishop or Knight, according to the will of the player; it is promoted to a higher rank since officers have much more mobility and value than Pawns.

If it is White's turn to move here, he may advance Pawn e7 to e8, change it for a Queen and call Mate. If it is Black's turn to move, he can advance f2 to f1, demand a Knight and Checkmate White.

The Initial Position

From time immemorial the men are placed at the beginning of the game in the order shown above, and White makes the first move. In the corners stand the Rooks, on the first row the White officers in the order R, N, B, Q, K, B, N, R; the corner to the right of White is white; in the second row stand the White Pawns, in the seventh row the Black Pawns and in the eighth row the Black officers, everyone opposite to a White officer of its own kind, the Queen opposite the Queen, the King opposite the King, and so forth. The White Queen is placed on a white square, the Black Queen on a black square, the Queen therefore on a square of its own color - a remnant of feudal gallantry.

The End of the Game; Checkmate (Mate), Stalemate, Draw

With a Checkmate the game is decided, but not every game ends with a Mate.

If he whose turn it is to move can make no legal move and yet his King is not checked he is not checkmated though the game necessarily is at an end. Such a conclusion of the game is called a Stalemate, a useless, a false, an unproductive Mate, briefly "Stalemate." He who is Stalemated does not lose the game nor win it either, because loss of the game is suffered only by him who is, "Checkmated" and an essential condition therefore is that the King should be in Check, whereas in a Stalemating position the King is not in Check.

Again when neither of the opponents believes he has the power to end the game by administering Checkmate, the game is undecided, "drawn", by mutual agreement. This agreement may be voluntary or compulsory. Compulsory when the two opponents repeat their moves, going backwards and forwards without changing their position, compulsory also when for fifty moves in succession no essential changes, no advance towards the final goal can be demonstrated, by either player. This demonstration, such is the accepted law, is achieved when during these fifty moves no capture nor the advance of a Pawn has been performed, for these are, by common consent, the outward, the visible signs of an essential change.

Here White is to move, Black menaces Checkmate in two ways, either by Qh3 captures h2 or plays to g2. White cannot defend the threat, he therefore tries to attack the opponent by giving Check with Qb6 to a6. Black is forced to reply Ka8 to b8. Now Qa6 to b6 again checking. The pinned Pawn cannot capture, hence Kb8, -c8 or -a8. Again Qb6-a6, Ka8 (c8)-b8. And the Checks have no end, the game is drawn by Perpetual Check.

The Function of Strategy

Herewith the rules and laws of the game are laid down; according to the very same rules play the beginner and the veteran, the duffer and the master. Whoever does not follow these rules does not play Chess; whoever follows them belongs to the community of Chess players that counts many millions.

What distinguishes the Chess players, all of whom follow the same rules, is called strategy: the plan, meaning, intent, force, briefly the reason of their moves.

This reason is no different from all reason, but a part of it, grown on its body, possessed of its force and conditioned by its pains. On the same tree where a little branch hangs, called the logic of Aristotle, there hangs another branch named Strategy in Chess.

We have now covered the chess rules. The next step is chess strategy.

It is tough to know what chess books, software and e-books to study when you just start out. There is a big gap between knowing how to move the pieces and studying strategy and tactics. These chess e-books and chess software are presented here to help bridge that gap and get you quickly on the road to chess success!

Chess Endings for Beginners
by J.H. Blake

$12.95  Download Now!
E-book:  Annotated games, 124 endings, diagrams and text documents. For use with ChessBase or ChessBase Light (download Chessbase Light FREE click here)

This ingenious ebook contains the endgame knowledge that every chess player must have at his fingertips. Each of these 124 practical endings are the building blocks of winning chess, the foundation for any understanding of this vital phase of the game. If you're a true beginner at chess, this ebook is a great place to start; if you're an experienced competitor, don't worry - few experts will know these important positions like they should! Click here to learn more about Chess Ending for Beginners Chess E-Book.

Play Chess - Have Fun!
by Lewis McClary

$12.95  Download Now!
E-book:  Annotated games, diagrams and text documents. For use with ChessBase or ChessBase Light (download Chessbase Light FREE click here)

If you know the movements of the chess pieces, and are ready to start conquering your opponents, then Play Chess - Have Fun! will show you how. Play Chess - Have Fun! fills the gap between knowing how the chess pieces move - the basic rules - and knowing what to do next. This e-book will be a BIG help in quickly and easily absorbing the logic and principles of good chess play. Click here to learn more about Play Chess-Have Fun Chess E-book.

Chess School for Beginners
by Convekta

$26.00
CD ROM, No other software required.

Written by GM Yury Razuvaev, well-known GM and one of Anatoly Karpov’s coaches, this friendly interactive course is intended for both children and adult beginners. It is divided into 3 main sections:

1) Chess rules - Consisting of theoretical material and test exercises.

2) Development of intellectual abilities - The following themes are presented: Concentration, Attention, Imagination, Logic, Cunning, and Creativity.

3) Playing - To improve their chess knowledge, students can play instructive positions against the built-in playing programs Dragon and Crafty

• 700 carefully chosen, and in many cases designed, examples to help a student
• Navigator, the part of the program, presents a window which allows to select a mode of work
• Ideal for schools and teachers with an unlimited number of individual student profiles allowed
• English version is available

No additional software is required. Click here to learn more about Chess School for Beginners chess software program.

Chess Tactics for Beginners
by Convekta

$26.00
CD ROM, No other software required

This program is based on a bestseller by the experienced coach Sergey Ivashchenko. Intended for beginners, both children and adults. Exercises arranged in five courses according to their increasing difficulty. Each course contains exercises for Practice and Test. The program includes positions from practical games, endgame studies as well as training examples.

• More than 1,300 tactical problems. You have to find the most important moves
• A built-in playing engine “Dragon” which can be called upon to analyze the problem
• Your favourite external playing program can also be used by you
• Wooden, marmoreal and standard interfaces possible
• English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish versions available
• Manual and build-in help files for each language

No additional software require. Click here to learn more about Chess Tactics for Beginners chess software program.

Thank you for visiting chess rules. If you would like to make a comment on the information in chess rules, please email us at email@chesscentral.com.

ChessCentral
Guarantee:
Easy Returns
Low Shipping Rates
Prompt Delivery
Secure Servers
Privacy
Customer Support
Post Purchase
Customer Feedback

Chess Sets and
Chess Boards

Chess For Kids
Chess Software and Videos

Join our 
Member's Area for FREE Chess to Download!

Car Books
Helping you buy Porsche Books, Ferrari Books & all automotive books at great prices.