How the Rook, Bishop, and Queen Move
The three long-range pieces and the squares they control across the board.
Read the guide →Chess Basics
How each piece moves
Before anything else, you need to know how every piece moves and captures.
How the Knight Moves (and Why It’s Tricky)
The L-shaped jump, how it hops over pieces, and how to spot knight moves fast.
Read the guide →How Pawns Move and Capture
Forward one square, capturing diagonally, and that first-move two-square option.
Read the guide →More in Chess Basics
← All Chess Basics
Setting up the board correctly
Special moves: castling, en passant, promotion
Check, checkmate, and stalemate explained
Reading and writing chess notation
The value of the pieces
Rules, draws, and how a game ends
The three phases: opening, middlegame, endgame
Basic etiquette and how to play online
Common beginner mistakes to avoid