Set up the board with a light square on the bottom-right corner
Place the rooks on the corners
Place the knights next to the rooks
Place the bishops next to the knights
Place the queen on her matching color square
Place the king on the remaining square
Place all pawns on the row in front of the pieces
White moves first
Take turns moving one piece at a time
Move pawns forward one square, or two squares on their first move
Capture with pawns diagonally
Move rooks horizontally or vertically
Move bishops diagonally
Move knights in an L shape
Move queens horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
Move kings one square in any direction
Do not move through other pieces except knights
Capture by moving onto an opponent’s piece
Protect your king
Do not leave your king in check
Get out of check immediately
Checkmate the opponent’s king to win
Use castling to move the king and rook together under the right conditions
Promote a pawn when it reaches the far side of the board
Learn basic openings
Control the center
Develop your pieces early
Avoid moving the same piece too many times
Think before every move
Practice regularly