Know the Chess Set Up and Rules of the Chess

While chess can be an intimidating concept, chess setup and rules are actually quite simple and easy to understand, if you only take time to really learn the basics. The first thing you should understand is that chess is a game played between two opposing sides, the black and the white side, each taking alternate turns, moving a piece at a time in order to capture the enemy’s king. The player on the white side moves first. This is one of the first and most important chess setup and rules you should remember as you learn to play the game.

Moving on to the chess pieces, you will notice that each side is given a total of 16 chess materials of different types, each of which moves in a particular way. A piece isn’t allowed to land on a chess square that is occupied by a friendly or same colored piece. If your piece lands on one that is taken by an enemy piece, the material is captured and removed from the board. Pieces are not permitted to jump over another, except for the knight, which is also the only piece that can move in different directions and not just in a straight line.

The bishops can move for any number of diagonal squares, while the rooks can move horizontally or vertically. The queen, which is considered the most powerful piece, can move in a straight line either diagonally, vertically, or horizontally.  Pawns can only move one square at a time, except during its first move, in which case it can move two squares forward. It can never move backward and can only capture pieces by moving diagonally toward the next square forward.

Chess setup and rules at the start of the game requires each player having a light-colored square in their bottom right-hand corner. Starting from the bottom left and the bottom right squares, put your rooks, continuing inward with your knights and bishops on either side. The queen should always go on the square of its own color (white on light, black on dark) and the king should stand on the remaining square between the queen and the bishop. The second row in front of the larger pieces is reserved for all your pawns.

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Chess Opening Moves – Gaining the Advantages

Chess opening moves pretty much set the tone for how your game will unfold, which is why developing strong opening strategies is critical if you want to dominate the game of chess. The way you decide to place your chess pieces during the start of a game is important because any mistake you make during this time will be reflected in the way that the rest of the game is played. Poor decisions right at the beginning of your chess match can cost you not only the middle game but the entire game altogether. Just the same, a strong opening tactic will give you a leg up and ensure your victory.

With chess being over a thousand years in existence, many opening tactics have not only been extensively studied, but also named and played and developed by grand masters the world over. This said, simply memorizing chess opening moves will not really guarantee your victory. The key is understanding the principles behind each move and the way that they should affect your decisions throughout the rest of the game. Learning how these opening moves work to your advantage will help you use them well as you go through your matches. This will also help you improvise your own sets of tactics as you navigate your way around different challenges your opponents might bring.

Knowing the right kind of chess opening moves to play also has a lot to do with learning the kind of player you are and the kinds of strategies and tactics you like implementing as you go along your matches. Defensive players may have different preferences for strategic openings than offensive players and vice versa. Different chess openings are tailored for different kinds of game styles and learning where you stand when it comes to tactics and strategies will help you determine which kinds of moves will be most effective for you to use.

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