THE RULES OF

CHESS
A CHESS4LIFE RESOURCE
 TOPIC 1

THE GAME

Chess is a game for two players.

One player controls the white
pieces and the other player controls
the black pieces. Traditionally,
players start the game by shaking
hands with their opponent. White
always moves first and then
players take turns (white then black
then white, etc). Turns consist of
moving a piece from one square
to another square (as described in
topics 4 - 9). A player may capture an opponent’s piece by moving their piece to
the square the opponent’s piece occupies, in doing so, removing the opponent’s
piece and setting it on the side of the board. A player may never capture their own
piece. The goal of the game is to checkmate an opponent's King (as explained
in Topic 11).

Pop Quiz

1 How many players participate in a game of chess?

2 Which color moves first?

3 How many moves do you get to make each turn?

4 May you capture your own pieces?

01 A Chess4Life Resource
 TOPIC 2

THE BOARD

The chess board is a checkered board made up of eight

vertical columns, called files, and eight horizontal rows,
called ranks. This creates 64 squares, both light and
dark. Every rank and file has a name. The a - file, b
- file, c - file, etc. The 1st
rank, 2nd rank, etc. This 8
gives every square a name
listed by letter and number 7 d7
(eg. b3, d7, g5, h1) Ref: 6
[Figure 2.1]. The chessboard
must be set up so that both 5 g5
players have a white square 4
on their right hand corner.
3 b3
2

1
h1
A B C D E F G H

Figure 2.1
Fun Activity

Know the Board: Gently drop a Knight onto the chess board and name the
square it lands on. Every correct answer gets you 1 point!

Play with a friend or family member and see who can name the square first... play
to 10 points.

A Chess4Life Resource 02
 TOPIC 3

THE PIECES
There are six different types of chess pieces: King, Queen, Rook, Bishop,
Knight, and Pawn. The chess set contains pieces of two different colors, one
light and one dark, called White and Black. The board is set up as shown [Ref:
Figure 3.1]. The white pieces begin on the 1st and 2nd ranks and the black
pieces begin on the 7th and 8th ranks. The white Queen begins on a light square
and the black queen begins on a dark square.

Each piece has a relative

8 point value based on its
7
mobility. Understanding
these point values allows a
6
player to evaluate whether
5 exchanging pieces is a
good or bad idea; however,
4
point values have no direct
3 impact on the result of a
game. See topic 11 for how to
2
win a chess game.
1

A B C D E F G H

Figure 3.1

Fun Activity

Ready, SETUP, Go! The Chess4Life team was able to setup the board in less
than 14 seconds. Can you beat this time?

03 A Chess4Life Resource
 TOPIC 4

THE KING
Since the object of the game is to checkmate the King, it is the most important
piece in the game of chess. The King moves one square in any direction. The
King captures in the same way that it moves (moving the King one square to the
square that the opponent’s pieces occupies and then removing the opponent’s
piece) [Ref: Figures 4.1 & 4.2]. The King may never move into or through
danger and the King may never be removed from the board. If a player
makes a move that leaves or puts their King in danger, this is an illegal move.
It must be taken back and a legal move must be played. The white King begins
the game on e1 and the black King begins the game on e8.

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 4.1 Figure 4.2

Capture the Pawns - King: Set up your chess 8

board as shown to the right and see if you can 7

use the King to capture all of the pawns in the 6

least number of moves possible. 5

BONUS: Great job! For an extra challenge, 3

repeat the previous exercise but this time make 2

sure that your King never steps into danger. Can 1

you find a way to accomplish this in just 18 moves? A B C D E F G H

Activity 4.1
Note: This requires an understanding of topic 9.

A Chess4Life Resource 04
 TOPIC 5

THE ROOK
The Rook (sometimes incorrectly called a castle) moves up, down, left, or right,
1 - 7 squares in any direction until the Rook reaches an obstruction or captures
a piece (the Rook cannot jump over pieces and can only capture one piece per
turn) [Ref: Figures 5.1 & 5.2]. The white Rooks begin the game in the corners, a1
and h1. The black Rooks begin in the corners, a8 and h8. The Rook has a piece
value of 5 points.

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 5.1 Figure 5.2

Fun Activity

Capture the Pawns - Rook: Set up your chess 8

board as shown to the right and see if you can 7

use the Rook to capture all of the pawns in the 6

least number of moves possible. 5

BONUS: Now that you’ve figured out how to 3

capture all of the pawns, try again, but this time 2

make sure that the Rook never moves into danger. 1

Can you find a way to accomplish this in just 12 A B C D E F G H

Activity 5.1
moves? Note: This requires an understanding of
topic 9.
05 A Chess4Life Resource
 TOPIC 6

THE BISHOP
The Bishop only moves diagonally. The Bishop may move 1-7 squares in any
diagonal direction [Ref: Figure 6.1]. The Bishop cannot jump over pieces and
can only capture one piece per turn [Ref: Figure 6.2]. Because the Bishop moves
diagonally, it may never move to a different color other than the one it starts on.
Each player has a light-squared Bishop and a dark-squared Bishop. The white
Bishops begin on c1 and f1. The black Bishops begin on c8 and f8. The Bishop
has a piece value of 3 points.

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 6.1 Figure 6.2

Capture the Pawns - Bishop: Set up your 8

chess board as shown to the right and see if you 7

can use the Bishop to capture all of the pawns in 6

the least number of moves possible. 5

BONUS: Good job! For an extra challenge, 3

repeat the previous exercise but this time make 2

sure that your Bishop never steps into danger. 1

Can you find a way to accomplish this in just 11 A B C D E F G H

Activity 6.1
moves? Note: This requires an understanding
of topic 9.
A Chess4Life Resource 06
 TOPIC 7

THE QUEEN
The Queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess. The Queen can
move 1-7 squares in any direction, up, down, left, right, or diagonal, until the
Queen reaches an obstruction or captures a piece; however, the Queen cannot
jump over pieces and can only capture one piece per turn [Ref: Figure 7.1 &
7.2]. The white Queen begins the game on d1 and the black Queen on d8. The
Queen has a piece value of 9 points.

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 7.1 Figure 7.2

Fun Activity

Capture the Pawns - Queen: Set up your 8

chess board as shown to the right and see if you 7

can use the Queen to capture all of the pawns in 6

the least number of moves possible. 5

BONUS: Fantastic! For an extra challenge, 3

repeat the previous exercise but this time make 2

sure that your Queen never steps into danger. 1

Can you find a way to accomplish this in just A B C D E F G H

Activity 7.1
8 moves? Note: This requires an understanding
of topic 9.
07 A Chess4Life Resource
 TOPIC 8

THE KNIGHT
The Knight moves in a direction described as an “L”. The Knight, from a starting
square, moves 2 squares, up, down, left, or right, and then one square
at a right angle, forming an “L” [Ref: Figure 8.1 & 8.2]. The Knight is the only
piece that may jump over other pieces but only captures the piece of the square
that he lands on (not the pieces he jumps over). The white Knights begin the game
on b1 and g1. The black Knights begin on b8 and g8. The Knight has a piece
value of 3 points (equal to the Bishop). Note: Every move the Knight makes
always changes the color of the square that it stands on.

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 8.1 Figure 8.2

Capture the Pawns - Knight: Set up your 8

chess board as shown to the right and see if you 7

can use the Knight to capture all of the pawns in 6

the least number of moves possible. 5

BONUS: Wonderful! For an extra challenge, 3

repeat the previous exercise, but this time 2

make sure that your Knight never steps into 1

danger. Can you find a way to accomplish A B C D E F G H

Activity 8.1
this in just 18 moves? Note: This requires an
understanding of topic 9.
A Chess4Life Resource 08
 TOPIC 9

THE PAWNS

The Pawn moves directly forward [Ref: Figure 9.1], never backward or to the side.
Pawns move exactly one square forward; though each Pawn may advance two
squares forward the first time it is moved. Pawns capture a piece that is one
square diagonally forward [Ref: Figure 9.2]. Though Pawns normally cannot move
diagonally, this is the only way they capture. Pawns are the only piece that capture
differently than they move. The white Pawns begin on the 2nd rank and the
black Pawns begin on the 7th rank. The Pawn has a piece value of 1 point.

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 9.1 Figure 9.2

Fun Activity

Pawn Game: Set up the chess board like the

8

diagram to the right. With a partner, play a game 7

of chess using only Pawns on the board. The first 6

person to get one of their Pawns to the other side 5

of the board is the winner! 4

A B C D E F G H

Activity 9.1

09 A Chess4Life Resource
 TOPIC 10

PAWN PROMOTION

Pawns are the only piece in chess that may

promote. Promotion occurs when the Pawn
reaches the opposite side of the board (1st
rank for black, 8th rank for white). In the same
turn, the Pawn is removed from the board and is
replaced with an extra piece of the promoting
player’s choice [Ref: Figure 10.1 & 10.2],
(Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight) even
if these pieces are already on the board. This
concludes the player’s turn.

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 10.1 Figure 10.2

Pawn Game - Part 2: Set up the chess board 8

like the diagram to the right. With a partner, play 7

a game of chess with only Pawns and kings on the 6

board. The goal of this game is to get one of your 5

Pawns to the other side of the board and promote 4

it! The winner is the first person to promote a Pawn 3

and capture all of their opponent's Pawns. 2

A B C D E F G H

Activity 10.1

A Chess4Life Resource 10
 TOPIC 11

CHECKMATE
Checkmate immediately ends the game (the King is never removed from
the board) and players shake hands to agree. Checkmate is the goal of the
game of chess. Checkmate is when
one player puts the opponent’s King 8

in danger (called “check”) and the 7

opponent can do nothing with their King 6

or any other pieces to stop the King from 5

being in danger [Ref: Figure 11.1 & 11.2] 4

(run away with the King, capture the 3

checking piece, or use another piece to 2

block.) [Ref: Figure 11.3] 1

A B C D E F G H

Figure 11.1

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H
Figure 11.2 Figure 11.3

Fun Activity
Make-a-Mate: Using the pieces designated
as “You have,” set the pieces on the board so
that the “Defending” King is in Checkmate.

1 2 3 4
You Have
Defender (e8)

11 A Chess4Life Resource
 TOPIC 12

CASTLING
Castling is a special move to make the King safer. In one turn, the King moves
two squares towards one Rook and that Rook jumps over the King, landing
next to the King. [Ref: Figure 12.1 &12.2]

Rules for Castling:

1. The King cannot castle if either the King or the Rook involved have already
moved in that game.
2. There can be no pieces between the King and the Rook.
3. The King cannot castle while in check. [Ref: Figure 12.3]
4. The King cannot castle into or through check. [Ref: Figure 12.4]
5. The King can never “un-castle”.

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 12.1 Figure 12.2

CANNOT CASTLE CANNOT CASTLE

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 12.3 Figure 12.4

A Chess4Life Resource 12
 TOPIC 13

EN PASSANT
En Passant is a special Pawn move. If a Pawn steps forward two squares,
landing adjacent to an opponent’s Pawn, the opponent’s Pawn may capture as
though it moved only one square. The En Passant capture may only take place
after a Pawn moves two squares and only on the move immediately following.
[Ref: Figures 13.1 & 13.2]

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

A B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H

Figure 13.1 Figure 13.2

Fun Activity

En Passant Challenge: Set up the chess board 8

like the diagram to the right. With a partner, play 7

a game of chess using only Pawns on the board. 6

This is a cooperative game where the goal is 5

to work with your partner to see how many En 4

Passant captures you can do in one game. 3

A B C D E F G H

Activity 9.1

13 A Chess4Life Resource
 TOPIC 14

DRAWS
A Draw is when neither player wins or loses. 8

There are several types of draws in chess. 7

Some common ways that a draw can occur 6

are: 5

STALEMATE
2

Stalemate occurs when a player has no A B C D E F G H

Figure 14.1
possible legal moves on their turn and their
King is not in check [Ref: Figure 14.1 & 14.2]. 8

INSUFFICIENT MATERIAL 6

Insufficient material occurs when neither player 5

has adequate pieces left on the board to 4

achieve a checkmate [Ref: Figure 14.3 & 14.4]. 3

OFFERED DRAW 1

A B C D E F G H

A draw can be achieved by one player Figure 14.2

offering a draw to his opponent. His opponent

8

can then choose to either accept or decline 7

the draw. 6

THREEFOLD REPETITION 4

A draw is achieved through Threefold 3

Repetition when the same position occurs 2

three times in a single game. The repeated

1

A B C D E F G H

position does not need to occur in succession. Figure 14.4

A B C D E F G H

Figure 14.3

A Chess4Life Resource 14
CHESS PIECE
QUICK GUIDE
PIECE INITIAL VALUE ICON

Pawn P 1 Point

Knight N 3 Points

Bishop B 3 Points

Rook R 5 Points

Queen Q 9 Points

King K The Game

PIECE MOVEMENT
PAWN BISHOP ROOK

QUEEN KNIGHT KING

15 A Chess4Life Resource
National Master and chess champion Elliott Neff founded Chess4Life in 2005 with
a mission to develop children’s life skills through the fun game of chess. Chess4Life
supports from beginner through championship levels, building critical thinking skills,
problem solving, and EQ, not just IQ. Now with a goal of impacting 1 million
students per week, Chess4Life provides both direct-to-student lessons and train-the-
trainer tools empowering even non-chess playing teachers to bring these benefits
of chess to a diverse audience.

Visit chess4life.com for the best live training for young players.
 SCORE SHEET
WHITE_______________ BLACK________________ WHITE_______________ BLACK________________

DATE________________ RESULT________________ DATE________________ RESULT________________

NR. WHITE BLACK NR. WHITE BLACK

1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12
13 13
14 14
15 15
16 16
17 17
18 18
19 19
20 20
21 21
22 22
23 23
24 24
25 25
26 26
27 27
28 28
29 29
30 30
31 31
32 32
33 33
34 34
35 35
36 36
37 37
38 38
39 39
40 40
 SCORE SHEET
WHITE_______________ BLACK________________ WHITE_______________ BLACK________________

DATE________________ RESULT________________ DATE________________ RESULT________________

NR. WHITE BLACK NR. WHITE BLACK

1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 10
11 11
12 12
13 13
14 14
15 15
16 16
17 17
18 18
19 19
20 20
21 21
22 22
23 23
24 24
25 25
26 26
27 27
28 28
29 29
30 30
31 31
32 32
33 33
34 34
35 35
36 36
37 37
38 38
39 39
40 40
 CHESS IN EVERY HOME

ENJOY "THE RULES OF CHESS"? SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND!

For more resources like this one, visit www.chess4life.com