Chess

Setup

• Players: two. You are White first, the bot is Black, and you swap next game.
• Board: 8 by 8, with a light square at each player’s right hand.
• Pieces: each side has a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns.
• First move: White always moves first.

How to play

1. 1Move your pieces. The rook goes in straight lines, the bishop on diagonals, the queen both ways, the knight in an L, the king one square. A pawn goes forward one square (two from its start) and captures diagonally.
2. 2Capture. You capture by landing on an opponent’s piece, which leaves the board. A piece cannot jump over others, except the knight.
3. 3Check. A king under attack is in check. You must get out of it at once, by moving, blocking, or capturing the attacker.
4. 4Special moves. Castling tucks your king away. A pawn that reaches the far side is promoted. A pawn can capture another that has just moved two squares, en passant.
5. 5Checkmate. A king in check with no way out is checkmated, and the other side wins.
6. 6Stalemate. No legal move and not in check is a draw, even if you are far ahead.

Winning

Checkmate the other king and you win. If neither side can, the game is a draw: by stalemate, too few pieces, fifty moves without a pawn move or capture, or the same position three times.

Scoring

Our Classic rules are the standard ones. Timed games, a clock, and offering a draw are not part of the practice table.

Key terms

Check:

The king is under attack. You must get out of it.

Checkmate:

A king in check with no legal move out. The game is over.

Stalemate:

No legal move, and not in check. The game is a draw.

Castling:

The king moves two squares toward a rook, and the rook jumps to its other side.

En passant:

A pawn takes another that has just moved two squares, as if it had moved one.

Promotion:

A pawn reaching the far rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight.

Fork:

One piece attacking two at once.

Pin:

A piece that cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece behind it.