Chess Board

Central squares

Square

The e4 square

Diagonal

File

The E-file

Rank

The 2nd rank

White side and Black side

Board Showing

The King side and the Queen side

Chess Notation

This system, known as algebraic notation, is used all over the world.

Every square on the board is assigned a name in lower case letters.

The numbers on the side from 1 to 8 are numbered from White’s side of the board and the letters denoting the files start on White’s left.

Pieces are designated by capital letters. Pawns have no specific designation but are referred to by the algebraic square they are on.

The ranks are numbered from White’s side of the board

Starting with number 1 all the way to number 8

The letters denoting the files start on White’s left side

Starting position of the Pawns

White Pawns are placed on the 2nd rank

Black Pawns are placed on the 7th rank

Pawn starting position

The Pawn is the only piece that captures in a different way that it moves

A Pawn cannot move backwards

A Pawn moves straight one or two squares and capture or takes one square diagonally

After a Pawn makes its initial move of one or two squares, the Pawn can only move up the board one square at a time

Position before En Passant

Black last move, pawn e5

White has captured “En passant”

A pawn before a promotion

A Pawn is promoted to a Queen, Rook, Bishop or Knight when it gets to the eighth rank.

A player can choose to be one of the pieces above.

Most of the time players pick the most valuable piece - a Queen

A pawn promoted to a Queen

Bishop

A Bishop moves diagonally and captures diagonally

Knight

A Knight can move to the “X” and take or capture by jumping over pieces. It moves one square to the side up or down and lands or take one square diagonally.

King

A King moves and captures one square in any direction

Before castling

Castling is a special move in which King and Rook combines their move.

It is the only time when a player can move two pieces in a single turn

Position after white castling long and black castling short

Either player may choose castling long or short

A King and Rook are the only pieces that can be used for castling

Only when castling the King moves two squares

Note you cannot castle out of check. When castling, your king cannot cross an enemy “line of fire”

Rook

A Rook moves and captures in straight line. Rooks either move up and down on a file, or sideways along a rank.

Queen

A Queen moves and captures straight and diagonally as far as the edge of the board.

Setting up the chessboard

Position 1

Put Rooks on the Corners and the Kings on the E-file

Position 3

Let’s add Pawns, White on the second rank

Black on the seventh rank

Position 2

Add the minor pieces Knights and Bishops Knights are located next to the Rooks

Position 4

Last, put the White Queen on light squares

And the Black Queen on the dark squares

Remember the White square on a chessboard is always on the right hand.

PAWN (the square is on)

KNIGHT (N)

BISHOP (B)

ROOK (R)

KING (K)

QUEEN (Q)

Pawn starting position

The Pawn is the only piece that captures in a different way that it moves

A Pawn cannot move backwards

A Pawn moves straight one or two squares and capture or takes one square diagonally

After a Pawn makes its initial move of one or two squares, the Pawn can only move up the board one square at a time

Position before En Passant

Black last move, pawn e5

White has captured “En passant”

A pawn before a promotion

A Pawn is promoted to a Queen, Rook, Bishop or Knight when it gets to the eighth rank.

A player can choose to be one of the pieces above.

Most of the time players pick the most valuable piece - a Queen

A pawn promoted to a Queen

Bishop

A Bishop moves diagonally and captures diagonally

Knight

A Knight can move to the “X” and take or capture by jumping over pieces. It moves one square to the side up or down and lands or take one square diagonally.

King

A King moves and captures one square in any direction

Before castling

Castling is a special move in which King and Rook combines their move.

It is the only time when a player can move two pieces in a single turn

Position after white castling long and black castling short

Either player may choose castling long or short

A King and Rook are the only pieces that can be used for castling

Only when castling the King moves two squares

Note you cannot castle out of check. When castling, your king cannot cross an enemy “line of fire” say from a £, ¥ or ¦.

Rook

A Rook moves and captures in straight line. Rooks either move up and down on a file, or sideways along a rank.

Queen

A Queen moves and captures straight and diagonally as far as the edge of the board.

Setting up the chessboard

Position 1

Put Rooks on the Corners and the Kings on the E-file

Position 3

Let’s add Pawns, White on the second rank

Black on the seventh rank

Position 2

Add the minor pieces Knights and Bishops Knights are located next to the Rooks

Position 4

Last, put the White Queen on light squares

And the Black Queen on the dark squares

PAWN (the square is on)

KNIGHT (N)

BISHOP (B)

ROOK (R)

KING (K)

QUEEN

Pawn Structures

Setup all the diagrams on a chessboard and try to memorize the name of each pawn structure

Pawns move forward and capture one square diagonally

Normally white starts the game by moving the e-pawn, d-pawn or

c-pawn

Philidor

Queen’s pawn

Queen side pawns

King’s Pawn

Catalan

Dutch defense

Sicilian defense

Tarrasch

Gruenfeld

Stonewall

English Opening

Yugoslav

King’s side pawns

Slav

Dutch defense

Queen’s Indian

Modern Pirc defense