Play Chess Game

The Basics

Begin with a chess game with the most easily identifiable pieces. Save the elaborate chess pieces and expensive games for after you've mastered the game. A basic set will include a chessboard that is either of one piece or can be folded and opened flat. The chess pieces can be made of wood or plastic or some other material that won't tip over easily. Finally, though not needed, a stopwatch or clock. You may have seen professional players use one of these when they play a chess game. When you are learning how to play chess you will probably take more time for each move. As you progress, using a timer will hone your playing skills and force you execute your moves quickly.

Set Up the Chess Board

First, set up your game board. If you don't have a set of rules or a diagram for setting up your board, check out the Apronus website.

The Rules to Play Chess Games

There are basic rules for playing the game of chess. These rules will always apply, no matter which moves you use. They are as follows:

• Pawn

The pawn can only be moved one space at a time forward. You may promote your pawn if it reaches the other end of the board to any other game piece except a King or another pawn.

• Knight

The knight moves in an L shape. This means it moves two squares straight ahead then either one square to the left or right. The knight can capture any opponent's piece that lies in the final square of the L move.

• Rook

The rook, or castle, can move straightforward or sideways but not diagonally. Castles cannot hop over other pieces.

• Bishop

The bishop is one of the major pieces found on the chessboard, and therefore needs to be guarded carefully. The bishop moves on the diagonal any number of spaces it desires in one direction. It cannot hop over other pieces on the board.

• Queen

The queen can move in any direction on the board, but cannot hop over other pieces. Since it can move in so many directions, it is one of the major pieces on the board and needs to be guarded carefully.

• King

The king is the one piece you never want captured because it will mean the end of the game. The king can only move one square in any direction at a time. The king cannot hop over any pieces and is essentially blocked by other game pieces of the same color.

Goal of Chess

The goal of the game of chess is to capture the king of your opponent. Once this is accomplished, the game is over. Winning a game can be very difficult though, especially when first learning to play chess games.

After you've managed the basics of playing a game of chess you can expand your knowledge of advanced chess moves that many players aren't even aware of. Luckily, there are many chess sites on the Internet with chess masters eager to share their knowledge of this ancient game of strategy.

Informative Chess Sites

Learn more about this fun game of strategy by surfing the web. Some great websites that teach the game of chess include:

• Mark Lowery's Exciting World of Chess
• The Chess Store
• How to Play Chess for Beginners and Parents
• Chess is Fun by Jon Edwards, U.S. Correspondence Chess Champion
• Chess Guru

As with any game of strategy, there is a learning curve. Some people learn more slowly than others, but don't give up too soon! The game of chess has been around for centuries, and there is a good reason for it. It is a constantly changing game; it is unusual to play the exact same game twice, even amongst chess champions. The more you play, the better player you'll become. Perhaps you'll even become a chess-playing champion!