The Basic Rules and Tips of Chess.

1. "You play chess on an 8 x 8 board of light and dark

squares.“

2. "Always turn the board so that a light square is in the

lower right corner.“

3."'Light on Right' is an easy way to remember this."

Rows on the chessboard are called RANKS (1 to 8).

4."Columns on the chessboard are called FILES (a to h).

 5."Hint: RANK and ROW both start with R. This is an easy
way to remember rank and file.“

 6."Chess is a war between two opposing armies: White and

Black.“

 7."Each army has a King, a Queen, two Rooks, two Bishops,

two Knights, and eight Pawns.“

 8."Start by setting-up the White army on your side of the

board.“

 9."Put one Rook at each end of rank 1. The Rook looks like a
castle or tower.“
 10."The rook's castle shape comes from the Farsi Indian
pieces which represented the tower carried by the elephant.“

 11."Next to each Rook, place a Knight. The Knights look

like horses.“

 12."The Knight was originally called faras in Arabic,

meaning horse. In Europe, the name of the horse evolved to
the name of its rider, the Knight.“

 13."Add a Bishop next to each Knight. The Bishop has a

notch in his hat.“

 14."There are two empty squares left on the near rank. The
Queen is placed on the square that matches its color."
 15."'Queen on Color' is an easy way to remember where the
Queen goes. (White Queen on a White square).

 16."The King goes on the last empty square.“

 17."At the front of the army go the Pawns, or foot soldiers.

Put one Pawn directly in front of each piece.“

 18."Now set up Black's pieces. Black's pieces always start

on rank 8.“

 19."Queen on Color! (Black Queen on Black Square)"

 20."White always makes the first move in a game. Now
you're ready to play Chess!“

 21."Starting with White, each side takes turns moving.“

 22."You are allowed to move only ONE piece on each turn."

 "The Chessmen - Introduction"
 "There are 6 different chess pieces..."
 "Kings,"
 "Queens,"
 "Rooks,"
 "Knights,"
 "Bishops,"
 "and Pawns."
 "Each piece has its own way of moving on the chessboard."
 "To play chess, you must learn how each piece moves."
 Chapter2-“THE King”
 "The King is the most important chess piece."

 "If you CHECKMATE your opponent's King, you WIN!!"

 "If your King is checkmated, you lose!“

 "In a checkmate, the King is not captured. Instead, you win

if you could capture your opponent's King on your next
move and there is no move your opponent can make to
prevent that from happening.“

 "After seeing how the other pieces move, you will return to
the subject of checkmate.“

 "First, look at how the King moves."

 "The King can move one square in any direction.

 The King does have one special move however, and it is allowed
just once during the game. It is called 'Castling ‘(see chapter12).

 "Important Rule #1: You may never move one of your pieces
(even the King) to a square occupied by another of your pieces.“

 "Important Rule #2: If an OPPOSING piece occupies a square

to which you can move, you can CAPTURE the opposing piece
by moving to that square, and removing your opponent's piece
from the board.“

 "Although the King is the most important piece, it is also one of

the weakest, because it can't move very far in a single turn.“

 "To win the game, the King must rely on the rest of his army."
 Chapter3-"The Queen"

 "The Queen can move horizontally along ranks,"

 "vertically on files,“

 "or along either diagonal.“

 "The Queen cannot move OVER another piece (of either

color).

 "Like the King, the Queen may capture the Black Pawn by
moving to the square it occupies (but no farther).“

 "The Queen is the most powerful piece because of her

ability to attack so many squares simultaneously."
 Chapter4-"The Rook“
 "The Rook moves horizontally along ranks,“
"and vertically along files.“

 "The Rook cannot move OVER another piece (of either

color).

 "When blocked by an Opponent's piece, the Rook may

capture it by moving to the square it occupies.“

 "Like the Queen, the Rook is a strong piece because of its

ability to attack several squares simultaneously."
 Chapter5-"The Bishop"

 "The Bishop moves along either diagonal."

 "Notice that the Bishop always moves to squares of the

same color as the one it starts on.“

 "Each side begins the game with two Bishops: One that
moves on light squares and one that moves on dark
squares.“

 "Like the Queen, the Bishop cannot move over another

piece.“
 "As usual, if the blocking piece belongs to the opposing
color, the Bishop can capture it simply by moving to that
square.“
 "Because it attacks fewer squares and is restricted to light
or dark squares

 the Bishop is a weaker piece than the Queen or Rook."

 Chapter6-"The Knight“

 “The Knight makes L-shaped moves. Two squares along a

rank or file, and then one square at a right angle.“

 "Notice that the Knight always lands on a square of a

different color from the one on which it starts.“

 "The Knight is special: It jumps OVER pieces.“

 "The Knight, like the Bishop, is considered less powerful

than the Queen or Rook. Even though it attacks fewer
squares than a Bishop, its jumping ability makes it a valuable
piece."
 Chapter7-"The Pawn"

 "All White Pawns start from rank 2.“

 "All Black Pawns start from rank 7.“

 "Pawns always move toward the opposite side of the

board.“

 "From its starting square, a Pawn may travel one or two

squares forward.“

 "The first time a Pawn is moved, it's the player's choice.“

 "Unlike other pieces, the Pawn cannot capture an opposing
piece that lies in its path.“

 "A Pawn can only capture a piece on one of the two squares
diagonally in front of it.“

 "Pawns are the least valuable piece. But don't throw them
away thoughtlessly. A single Pawn can sometimes mean the
difference between winning and losing!"
 Chapter8-"The Chessmen Summary"
 "Here is a quick summary of the chess pieces.“

 "Important Rule #1: You may never move one of your

pieces to a square occupied by another of your pieces.“

 "Important Rule #2: If an OPPOSING piece occupies a

square to which you can move, you can CAPTURE the
opposing piece by moving to that square, and removing your
opponent's piece from the board.“

 "The Queen moves along ranks, files, and

diagonals.“
 "The King moves one square in any direction.“
 "The Rook moves along ranks and files.“

 "The Bishop moves along light or dark diagonals.“

 "The Knight makes L-shaped moves. Two squares along a

rank or file, then one square at a right angle.“

 "Pawns normally move one square towards the opposite

side of the board, except when capturing.“

 "Pawns move forward, but capture DIAGONALLY! All

other pieces capture the same way they move.“

 "The FIRST time it moves, a Pawn may travel one or two

squares forward.“
 Chapter9-"Check and Checkmate"
 "If it's your turn to move, and your King could be captured on
your opponent's next move, you are IN CHECK.“

 "If your King is in check, your very next move MUST

remove the threat.“

 "There are 3 ways to remove a threat to your King.“

 1)” Move your King to a square that is not under attack by

your opponent.”

 2)” Capture the threatening piece with one of your pieces.”

 3)” Block the threat by moving one of your other pieces."

"If you cannot move, capture, or block, you are
CHECKMATED and you lose the Game.“
 "The object of the game is to checkmate your opponent,
while avoiding checkmate yourself.“

 "If you are certain that you cannot win, you may RESIGN
rather than wait for your opponent to checkmate you. This
says to your opponent, OK, you win!"
 Chapter10-"Stalemate"

 "A STALEMATE occurs when the side to move is not in

check AND all possible moves place that side in check.“

 "Since it is illegal to move into check, the side to move

cannot move. BUT, the side to move is not in check, so it's
not checkmate.“

 "The result: STALEMATE, which is considered to be a

draw (neither side wins).“

 "A good chess player must understand checkmate AND

stalemate, the possibility of a stalemate."
 Chapter11-"Special Moves: En Passant"

 "En Passant is a special type of capture move for

Pawns ONLY.“
 "Pawn takes Pawn, en passant“
 "You may capture en passant ONLY when your
opponent moved a Pawn two squares forward on the
previous move.“
 "This is a useful move when your opponent tries to
sneak a Pawn past yours by moving two squares.“
 "But remember: If you wish to capture en passant,
you must do so on your very next move."
 Chapter12-"Special Moves: Castling"
 "Castling is a special move involving the King and either
Rook.“

 "Castling moves two pieces. First, move the King two

squares toward the Rook.“

 "Then put the Rook on the other side of the King."

"You can castle with either Rook.“

 "If the King moves toward the nearer Rook (on the King's
side of the board),“

 "it is called CASTLING KINGSIDE (written O-O)."

 "If the King moves toward the other Rook (on the Queen's
side of the board),“

 "it is called CASTLING QUEENSIDE (written O-O-O).“

 "To be legal, the King and Rook must not have moved from
their starting squares,“

 "the squares between the King and Rook must be

unoccupied,“

 "the King cannot be in check“

 "and the square that the King passes over cannot be under
attack. Of course, the King can never be moved INTO
check, so the destination can't be under attack either.“
 "
 It is usually a good idea to castle early in the
game, as it protects the King and gives the Rook a
chance to control the center files."
 Chapter13-"Special Moves: Promotion"

 "When a Pawn reaches the opposite side of the Board. It

must be PROMOTED to a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or
Knight.“

 "Normally, you choose to promote your Pawn to a Queen."

"Promoting a pawn to a piece other than a Queen is called
UNDERPROMOTION.“

 "Because of promotion, an opponent's Pawn that is

unopposed is a dangerous threat.“
 "Remember: Only Pawns can be promoted. This makes
Pawns more valuable than they seem at first glance. A
promotion can instantly change the balance of power in a
game.“

 "By the way: You may promote a Pawn to a Queen even if

you already have one (or more) on the board. It is possible
(but extremely unlikely) to promote all eight of your Pawns
to other pieces."
 Chapter14-"Algebraic Notation"

 "Algebraic Notation is the generally accepted method of

writing down the moves in a chess game.“

 "It is easy to learn and will increase your enjoyment of

chess.“

 "To describe a move in algebraic notation, start by writing

down the letter of the piece that is moving.“
 "K for a King“
 "Q for a Queen“
 "R for a Rook“
 "B for a Bishop“
 "N for a Knight"
 "If a Pawn is moving, don't write down anything.”

 write down the file (a - h) and rank (1 - 8) of that piece's

destination square.“

 "Castling Kingside is written O-O. Castling Queenside is

written as O-O-O:“

 "See how this might work for the first few moves of a real
game.“

 "Going back to the game, White moves the d-Pawn one

square forward:"
"here notation used is d3“
 "When a move places the other side in check, put a '+' at the
end. So you write this move as:“

 "Sometimes, identical pieces can move to the same square.“

 "When a promotion occurs, write the letter of the new piece

at the end of the move:“

 "When a move causes checkmate, write an extra '+' at the

end of it:"
Eg:"Rh7++“

 "Now you know how to read and understand chess games

recorded with Algebraic Notation. To learn more about
chess strategies, check out the Chess Tutor."
 Chapter15-“Scoring”

 In the game of chess, points don't actually matter. The sole

objective of the game is Checkmate. However, some pieces
are clearly more powerful than others. Therefore, each piece
does have an approximate material point value. Following
these values as guidelines will help build your
understanding of material advantages.

 Before taking the following point values to heart, realize

that there are other factors that matter in chess besides pure
material advantages. A good example of this is the Queen
sacrifice which you can read about at the end of the tutorial.
The generally accepted material chess point values are as
follows:

1) King = infinite (Checkmate means game over no matter

what)
2) Queen = 9
3) Rook = 5
4) Bishop = 3
5) Knight = 3
6) Pawn = 1
 Note that although Bishops and Knights have the same
value of 3, there are different factors that can make one
significantly more powerful than the other.

 For example, Bishops thrive in more open games in which

there are no Pawns clogging up the middle of the board.
This is because they can move up to seven unobstructed
spaces.

 In contrast, the Knight is stronger than the Bishop in closed

games. This is because Knights can "jump" over blockaded
pieces which the Bishop cannot do
 Chapter16-“Three types of draws”
 Stalemate is not the only draw that can be achieved in the
game of chess, although it is the most well known.

 The other two types of draws include the fifty-move rule

and the three-fold repetition. If you are looking for the win
then you want to avoid draws as much as possible and have
the game result in a checkmate instead of a draw.

 A stalemate is when it is your opponent's turn, but they have

no legal moves that they can make. This means that the king
is the only piece that can be moved, but it cannot be moved
into check. Remember that it is illegal for a king to place
himself in check. This results in the draw by way of
stalemate. Neither player wins the game.
 The fifty move rule is when there are no pawn movements
and no captures for fifty consecutive moves. If a pawn move
or a capture takes place, then the count resets to zero and
begins again.

 Upon reaching fifty moves either player may claim a draw

and again no one wins the game. Typically this happens
when both players only have one or two pieces left on the
board.
 The three-fold repetition says that if the exact same
position occurs on the board three times during a game,
either player may claim a draw. Sometimes this is done on
accident, other times it is forced by placing an opponent in
check over and over again. Think of being able to take a
picture of the board three different times during a game and
the pictures come out identical to each other.

 Try to avoid these draws so that you are able to come away
with an official win. Avoid these by watching out for them
and being sure to look for every opportunity to place your
opponent in checkmate.
 10 great tips from the grand masters.(press F5 to view slide
show)
1 .Central 4 square domination
1.It is very important in any game of chess to focus on a number
of concepts that are proven to be effective. One of these concepts
is to control the center of the board.

2.When you control the center of the board that you are able to
mount a variety of attacks as well as maintain a solid defensive
structure. If you have an advantage in the center of the board you
have a strong advantage in the game itself and a higher chance of
winning.

3.There are some ideas that a chess player should follow to help
maintain domination of the center of the board. First is to not
allow your knights to be forced out of the center of the board by
your opponent's advancing pawns.
 4.Understand that if your knights are limited by the
edge of the board or by the back rank on the board,
they are rendered much less effective than when they
are helping to control the middle of the board where
they are a viable threat.

 5.Do your best to control the center 4 squares of the

board and you will drastically improve your odds of
winning.
 2. Develop Your Pieces
 1.When playing a game of chess it is important to develop
all of your primary pieces early on in the game. If you have
primary pieces that are still sitting on the back rank by the
time you reach the middle game, then you have given your
opponent an advantage in the game.

 2. All pieces need to be developed in order for you to have

the tactical advantage in the game. Often times a player will
leave a rook sitting on the back rank doing absolutely
nothing. If you find yourself doing this, then you need to
change.

 3. A rook is a very valuable piece and leaving it sitting

safely tucked in the back rank is creating a situations where
you are basically giving your opponent a one piece
advantage.
 4.A general rule of thumb is to move each piece once before
moving any piece twice. This may seem very difficult to
achieve in game play, but it does provide a great advantage
to you if you are able to carry out this strategy.

 5.If you are able to safely develop all of your pieces early
on in the game you will definitely have a lead in tempo over
your opponent.

 6. Do not forget to develop your king by castling. Generally

this is done on the king's side, not the queen's side. This is
also usually done during the opening, or within the first
fifteen moves of the game.
 3.Always be alert.
 1.There is a tendency for people to relax once they
have reached a good position or to give up hope if
their position is very bad. These attitudes are
natural, but both lead to bad results.

 2.Many players---even world champions---have

achieved winning positions, only to lose because
they relaxed too soon. Even the best position won't
win by itself; you have to give it some help! In
almost any position, the "losing" player will still be
able to make threats. The "winning" player has to be
alert enough to prevent these positions.
 3.Advice: If you have a better position, watch out! One
careless move could throw away your hard-won advantage.
Even as you're carrying out your winning plans, you must
watch out for your opponent's threats.

 4.Conversely, if you have a worse position, don't give up!

Keep making strong moves, and try to complicate the position
as much as possible. If your opponent slips, you may get the
chance to make a comeback. Remember: Where there's life,
there's hope.
 4. Keep your king safe.

 1.It's generally a good idea to place your king in a safe place

by castling early in the game. Once you've castled, you should
be very careful about advancing the pawns near your king.
They are like bodyguards; the farther away they go, the easier
it is for your opponent's pieces to get close to your king.

 2.Try to force your opponent to move the pawns near his king.

 3.It is better to sacrifice a knight or bishop to capture a pawn

in front of opponents king, so that you can attack the opponent
king very easily.
 5.Look at your opponent's move!
 1.Every time your opponent makes a move, you should stop
and think: Why was that move chosen? Is a piece in danger?
Are there any other threats I should watch out for? What
sort of plan does my opponent have in mind?

 2.Only by defending against your opponent's threats will

you be able to successfully carry out your own strategies.
Once you figure out what your opponent is attempting to
do, you can play to nip those plans in the bud.

 Since the opponent can check your king and capture your
pieces ,so make sure that you protect or support each of
your pieces by other pieces so that chances of losing your
pieces are reduced.
 6.Chess Bluffing
 1. Many opponents will attempt to place pieces in an open
space on your side of the board with no real intent of sacrificing
the piece.

 2. This is particularly true towards the beginning of the game

when your opponent is trying to feel you out. An opponent may
run a bishop or knight out to your side of the board as an
attempt to establish an offensive front.

 3.If you ignore this piece and allow it to sit out there while
executing your own plan, then you are giving your opponent an
advantage.

 4. Find out if your opponent is simply bluffing and trying to feel

you out. Many times if you challenge this piece, your opponent
will retreat quickly instead of standing to fight. They are trying
to see if you are an aggressor or a protector of your pieces.
 7.Zwischenzug

 1.The German word zwischenzug means intermediate move

and it is a common tactic that occurs in almost every game
of chess.

 2. Picture your opponent making a move that directly

threatens one of your pieces. After you opponent has done
this you are able to follow up with the zwischenzug tactic.

 3. When this tactic is used in the game of chess you will

make a move that poses an even more devastating threat,
instead of countering a direct threat, which the opponent
expected you to do.
 4. Often the move that you made will be a direct attack
against the opponent's queen or the king. The opponent is
forced to counter that threat against his or her queen or king
first and this will ideally change the situation to his or her
disadvantage.

 5.Just as easily as you can use this tactic, so can your

opponent's. Because this is a common, well-known tactic
you should always watch out for a zwischenzug. Do not
assume that the opponent has to counter your threats
immediately, no matter how great they may appear in your
eyes.

 6. It is good practice to always check whether your

opponent has a check or a move that can threaten your
queen. Conversely, anticipate your opponent's threats and
plan a surprising. Zwischenzug.
 7.Try to use this tactic when it appears to work to
your advantage and guard your pieces against it,
particularly guard your queen and king against the
zwischenzug. This tactic is all about forcing your
opponent into making tough decisions.

 8.Your opponent has to ask themselves for example

"do I take his knight with my bishop, or guard or
move my queen?" these types of situations generally
will provide you with a tempo advantage as your
opponent retreats.
 8.Do Not Fret
 1.If you find yourself in a game where you are
trailing a two or three or even four pawns behind
there is no reason to worry too much. The number of
pawns that you have as compared to your opponent is
not as important as how your pawns are situated.

 2. It is important to think ahead a few moves when

playing chess and to look at how the various
scenarios of the next few moves may play out. Once
you have carefully considered your options, try to
keep your pawns grouped together.

 3.Having one island of pawns, or one connected

group of pawns, is much more significant than
having the most pawns.
 4. Consider a player who has more pawns, but has possibly
three different islands of two pawns each. This player is not as
strong in his pawn defense as one who is able to keep four or
five pawns in one single island. The defensive capabilities of
pawns are well known.

 5.Take care in your opening strategy and your middle game so

that you do not create multiple small islands of pawns for
yourself
 9.Other general tips
 Don't castle if it brings your King into greater danger from
attack in your chess game.

 After castling, keep a good pawn formation around your King.

 If you only have one Bishop, put your pawns on its opposite
color in your chess game. (very important)

 Trade pawns pieces when ahead in material or when under

attack.

 If cramped, free your game by exchanging material in your

chess game.

 If your opponent is cramped, don't let him get any freeing

exchanges.
 Study openings you are comfortable with. in your chess
game.

 Play over entire games, not just the opening.

 Blitz chess is helpful in recognizing chess patterns. Play

often.

 Study annotated games and try to guess each move in your

chess game.

 Stick with just a few openings with White, and a few

openings with Black.

 Record your games and go over them, especially the games

you lost.
 Show your games to higher rated opponents and get
feedback from them.

 Use chess computers and databases to help you study and

play more.

 Everyone blunders. The champions just blunder less often in

their chess game.

 When it is not your move, look for tactics and combinations.

 Try to double Rooks or double Rook and Queen on open

files in your chess game.

 Always ask yourself, "Does my next move overlook

something simple?“
 Don't make your own plans without the exclusion of the
opponent's threats

 Watch out for captures by retreat of an opponent's piece in your

chess game.

 Do not focus on one sector of the board. View the whole board.

 Write down your move first before making that move - it helps
avoid blunders.

 Try to solve chess puzzles with diagrams from books and

magazines.

 It is less likely that an opponent is prepared for off-beat

openings.
 Recognize transposition of moves from main-line play in
your chess game.

 Watch your time and avoid time trouble in your chess game.

 Bishops are worth more than Knights except when they are
pinned in.

 A Knight works better with a Bishop than another Knight in

your chess game.

 It is usually a good idea to trade down into a pawn up

endgame.
 Have confidence in your chess game.

 Play in as many rated events as you can.

 Try not to look at your opponent's rating until after the game.

 Always play for a win in your chess game.

 10.Etiquette
 There are some official and unofficial rules of etiquette in
the game of chess. The general theme of chess etiquette is to
be a good sport and to be respectful. Some of the more
common official rules of etiquette are as follows:

 Every game must begin and end with the players shaking
hands.

 Between the two handshakes, no talking is permitted.

"Check" need not be said. Players are responsible for
noticing where all of the pieces on the board are located,
and what threats are pending.

 Never do anything to distract any other player in the

tournament, especially your opponent.
 Always use the "touch move" rule.

 If an illegal move is made, the tournament director should

be summoned. In a tournament using a "Sudden Death" time
control, the other player receives an extra two minutes when
one player makes an illegal move.

 Never gloat over a victory, or become despondent or hostile

following a defeat. It is always best to analyze the game
with your opponent, after the game ends, and in a different
room from where you played. Leave the playing room
quietly when you finish so as not to distract the other people
who are still playing.
 Never comment on a game that is in progress,
whether the game is yours or one that you are just
watching.

 The tournament director has the authority to punish

breaches of etiquette, and may add or subtract time
as a sanction. In extreme cases, players may be
forfeited for violating the rules and spectators may
be banned from the site.

 These rules of etiquette generally apply to

tournaments, but it is always a good idea to follow
these. Being a good sport in chess and having fun
generally makes for a better chess player.
 If you liked this presentation please send your
comments to [email protected]

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