1. Ramblewood Middle Chess Club
Chess Basics:
Set Up the Board & Basic Rules
© 2011

2. Chess Pieces Pieces on the Board White DiagramPieces
Black DiagramPieces
King
Queen
Bishop
Knight
Rook
Pawn
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3. King & Queen – Shape in Diagrams
The King’s crown has a rounded shape
King’s have a cross on top of their crown
The Queen’s crown has a pointed shape
King
Queen
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4. Bishop - Shape in Diagrams
The cleft between the front and back of the Mitre became the diagonal cut in the Bishop chess piece.
These are lappers, not “feet”
A Bishops’ Mitre
Clipart courtesy FCIT,
Chess Bishop
for print diagrams
The shape of the Bishop used in printed chess diagrams is based on the Bishop’s Mitre, a liturgical headpiece worn by the bishop when exercising his office.
Two bands called “lappers” hang from the back of the mitre down onto the shoulders
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5. Knight – Shape in Diagrams
Statue, Doncaster Knights Rugby Club
© Copyright Dave Pickersgill and licensed for reuse
Chess Knight
for print diagrams
The shape of the Knight used in printed chess diagrams is the head of a Knight’s horse
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6. Rook – Shape in Diagrams
Chess Rook
for print diagrams
Winsor Castle
© Derek A R., 2005 licensed for reuse
The shape of the Rook used in printed chess diagrams is a circular tower from a castle
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7. Pawn – Shape in Diagrams
Pikeman’s Armor, A.D.
© mharrsch, licensed for reuse
Chess Pawn
for print diagrams
Swiss infantry formed pike squares of 100 infantry men in a 10 x 10 array, each holding a long pointed staff. A well-drilled pike square was impenetrable by cavalry and very mobile.
Notice how the pikeman’s helmet and armor looks like a pawn
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8. A Pike Square
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9. Chess Basics How to Set Up the Chess Board Basic Rules
How the Pieces Move
Rules for Castling
En Passant Pawn Captures
Checkmate – How a game is won
The Ways to Draw a Game
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10. Setting Up a Chess Board
“White to the Right”
Put the White corner
to the right side
Switching this can make
A game invalid.
If the board has letters,
They should read A-H for the White player.
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11. Setting Up the Pieces Queen On Her Color White Queen is on a
white square
Black Queen is on a
shaded square
A lady wants her shoes
to match her dress.
Check this before you
start the game.
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12. Pieces in Alphabetical Order
Add the pieces in
Alphabetical Order, going out from the King & Queen.
Bishops next to K & Q
Knights next to Bishops
Rooks in the Corners
Switching a Bishop and
a Knight is a common mistake in setting up the board.
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13. Add the Pawns in Front Now the board is ready to play Chess !
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14. Rules for Setting Up Board
White (corner) to the Right
Queen on Her Color
Add Pieces Alphabetically from the Center
Pawns in Front
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15. Moving Rooks
Rooks move to vacant squares in a horizontal or vertical straight line.
Rooks must stop before their own pieces, or they can capture an opponent’s piece and occupy that square.
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16. Moving Bishops
Bishops move to vacant squares in a diagonal straight line.
Bishops must stop before their own pieces, or they can capture an opponent’s piece and occupy that square.
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17. Moving Knights
Knights move in an “L”, two squares in one direction and one square at a right angle.
Knights jump over pieces of any color.
Knights can capture opponent’s pieces, but not their own pieces.
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18. Moving the Queen
The Queen combines the moves of the Rook and the Bishop. The Queen moves to vacant squares in a straight line.
The Queen must stop before her own pieces, or she can capture an opponent’s piece and occupy that square.
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19. Moving the King
The King moves one square in any direction, but cannot stay in or move to a square under attack by an opposing piece, or occupy a square that has one of his own pieces.
The King may capture an unprotected piece, even if it is attacking him.
Castling is done with both the King and Rook in the same move.
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20. Moving Pawns
Pawns move forward, either one or two empty squares on their first move, and only one empty square after that.
Pawns may capture opponent’s pieces that are one diagonal square in front of it
A Pawn cannot capture a piece directly in front of it.
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21. En Passant Capture
Pawns allowed able to take an opponent’s pawn “en passant”
(French for “in passing”).
When the opponent’s pawn moves two squares, the pawn can captures as if the pawn only moves one square.
This en passant capture MUST be done immediately (on the very next move), or the option to capture this way is lost.
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22. Pawn Promotion
When a Pawn reaches the final rank, it is exchanged (in the same turn) for a Queen, Rook, Bishop or Knight of the same color.
1. a8=N is checkmate
1. a8=Q is stalemate
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23. Rules for Castling The King & Rook have not yet moved in the game
All squares between the King and Rook are empty
The King is not in check
The King does not move to or move over a square that is in check
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24. Checkmate & When to Resign
Checkmate is when one player’s King is threatened and there is no legal move to meet the threat.
The player giving checkmate wins the game.
A player can resign when their position is hopeless. It is a loss, but it saves time & shows they knew they lost.
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25. 4 Ways to Draw a Game By agreement with your opponent
Repeating the same position three (3) times, with the same person to move and the same possible moves
Stalemate: The player to move has no legal moves and is not in check
The 50-Move Rule: 50 moves without a check or a piece being captured
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26. About Draws
To request a draw, 1) You must be the player to move, 2) Make your move, and 3) Offer a draw before touching the clock. The offer is considered on your time, not your opponent’s time.
If your opponent offers a draw, he often thinks he is losing. Check what winning chances you have.
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27. 50-Move Draw Example
The opposite-color Bishops can avoid each other, and avoid capture by the King forever.
This will be a draw eventually, if one is not offered and accepted. Trying to win on time can be challenged by appeal to the director.
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28. Requirements
Demonstrate to your counselor that you know each of the following Then, using Scouting’s Teaching EDGE, teach the following to a Scout who does not know how to play chess:
The name of each chess piece
How to set up the chessboard
How each chess piece moves, including castling and en passant captures
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29. Requirements Do the following: Explain the four rules for castling.
Demonstrate on a chessboard four ways a chess game can end in a draw.
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30. Questions ?
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