Guides

Chess Basics

Everything a brand-new player needs — the pieces, the rules, and the habits that make chess click.

Reading and writing chess notation · 6 min read Beginner

Files, ranks, and piece letters so you can follow any game or lesson.

Common beginner mistakes to avoid · 5 min read Beginner

The number-one beginner blunder and a simple routine to stop it.

Common beginner mistakes to avoid · 6 min read Beginner

The habits that quietly lose games, and the easy fixes for each.

Basic etiquette and how to play online · 3 min read Beginner

The unwritten rules that keep games friendly, online and over the board.

Basic etiquette and how to play online · 5 min read Beginner

Choosing a site, picking a time control, and what all the buttons mean.

The three phases: opening, middlegame, endgame · 5 min read Beginner

What the opening, middlegame, and endgame are each for.

Rules, draws, and how a game ends · 4 min read Beginner

Threefold repetition and the 50-move rule, explained without jargon.

Rules, draws, and how a game ends · 5 min read Beginner

Checkmate, resignation, and the five different kinds of draw.

The value of the pieces · 6 min read Under 1000

Piece values are a guide, not a rule; here's when they flip.

The value of the pieces · 4 min read Beginner

The point values and what they mean when you're deciding whether to trade.