Chess Basics and Strategies for Beginners Online

In chess—as with many things—basics are important. In fact, it is very possible to learn and be good at the game if you have your standard rules down. If you are only beginning to learn the game, there are plenty of resources that you can turn to online to reinforce what you know. In fact, chess lessons can now be taken online. Instead of driving to and from classes, affordable lessons can now be enjoyed at the comfort of your home, taught by experienced coaches specializing in teaching children and adults at varying skill levels. Whether you want to excel in major tournaments or simply want to enjoy the game, it is important to get all basic chess rules down so it will be easier for you to learn other techniques and strategies that you can use in the course of your games. Knowing what you can and can't do on the board is important:

• Pawns – A pawn can only ever move one square each turn, except during its first move, when it can cover two squares. All subsequent moves should return to one square forward per turn, never backward in any direction. The piece, however, can capture diagonally and only diagonally within its legal movement range.

• Knights –The Knight is the only piece on the board that is able to jump over other pieces to get to its square, whether to capture or simply move. It moves in an L-shape and is the only other piece, besides the pawn, with a legal move at the start of a game.

• Bishops – The bishop moves and captures diagonally, never straight (forward or backward, nor left or right). It may move to any square provided that it is in its line of sight or along its diagonal pattern.

• Rooks – A rook can move and capture only along straight lines. Unlike the rook, it can move and capture along the straights, be it left or right, or forward or backward, as long as the square is within its line of sight. It can be used for castling with the king.

• Queens – The queen can move and capture using any square in its line of sight. It can move multiple squares on the straights and diagonals and has the power of every other piece, except for the knight.

• Kings – Like the pawn, the king is restricted to only one square move per turn, except during the castling maneuver. However, it can move in any direction and capture in any direction, as long as it will not be put in Check and the move is within its legal range of movement.

About the author:

Albert Fishman has been involved in teaching chess since 1996 and is part of the IchessU coaching staff.