Do you already know how to play chess?

There are three basic rules of chess that you must know before anything else:

1. The player with the white pieces moves first.
Deciding whether you’ll play with the black or white pieces in chess is not just a matter of preference—it also has a strategic component. First of all, it’s important to note that the player with the white pieces always moves first.

The first move is crucial and, as a tip, it should be part of a strategy. As you practice, you’ll become more familiar with different strategic approaches.

2. Each player moves only one piece per turn.
You cannot move more than one piece per turn. The only exception to this rule is when performing a “castling,” which requires moving both your rook and your king. It should also be noted that no piece may move to an occupied square unless it is to capture.

3. The player who achieves “Checkmate” wins.
The objective of the game is very simple: capture the enemy king and achieve checkmate. During the match, you will encounter several situations where the king is under threat; however, if it can escape capture, that is called “check.”

Chess pieces, also known as chessmen, are the movable elements of the game. Each player has 16 pieces:

• 1 King

• 1 Queen

• 2 Towers

• 2 Bishops

• 2 Knights

• 8 Pawns

Chess is played between two players who move alternately. A player can never make two moves in a row.

There is only one move in which two pieces of the same side can change position at the same time: Castling.

When an opponent’s piece threatens to capture the king (“Check”), it must be avoided before making any other move.

The game ends with Checkmate, which is the position in which it is no longer possible to prevent the king from being captured by an opposing piece.

The game ends in a Draw when neither side has enough pieces to deliver checkmate, or if the same position is repeated three times in a row.

It is also a Stalemate if the king, without being in check, has no legal moves that avoid capture, and no other legal moves can be made.

Here are some key terms you should know to play:

• Check: Our king is in check when an opponent’s piece threatens to capture it on the next move. The player in this situation must avoid it before considering other moves.

• Checkmate: When the king is threatened and cannot escape with legal moves, it is called checkmate. The game ends with the victory of the side that delivered the checkmate.

• Castling: A special move where the king and a rook are moved simultaneously. There is kingside castling (short) and queenside castling (long).

• Stalemate: When a player has no legal moves left, their king is not in check, and any legal move with the king would put it in check, the king is considered “stalemated.”

• Opening: The initial moves of the game, usually involving piece development and castling the king.