How to play chess

Chess is played by two people on a board of 64 squares. Each side starts with 16 pieces (see board setup), and White moves first. Players take turns, one move each.

You win by checkmate: attack the enemy king so it cannot escape. An attack on the king is called check; you must get out of check at once, by moving the king, blocking, or capturing the attacker. You can also win when your opponent resigns or runs out of time.

Each piece moves its own way: see how the pieces move. A piece captures by moving onto an enemy piece's square.

Once per game, the king can move two squares towards a rook, and that rook jumps over to the square next to the king. It tucks the king away and brings the rook into play.

You can castle only if neither the king nor that rook has moved, the squares between them are empty, and the king is not in check, does not pass through check and does not land in check.

On 2P Chess, castle by moving the king two squares.

When a pawn moves two squares from its start and lands right beside an enemy pawn, that enemy pawn may capture it as if it had moved only one square. This must be done straight away, on the very next move, or the chance is gone.