Set up the board with a white square on the right corner of each player
Place all pawns on the second row from each player
Place rooks in the corners
Place knights next to the rooks
Place bishops next to the knights
Place the queen on her matching color square
Place the king on the remaining square
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 forward
Move rooks horizontally or vertically
Move bishops diagonally
Move knights in an L shape
Move queens like a rook or bishop
Move kings one square in any direction
Do not move a piece through another piece unless it is a knight
Capture an opponent’s piece by moving onto its square
Protect your king at all times
Do not make a move that leaves your king in check
Check means the king is under attack
Get out of check by moving the king, blocking the attack, or capturing the attacking piece
Checkmate means the king cannot escape check
Win by checkmating the opponent’s king
A pawn reaching the last row can promote to another piece
Use castling to move the king and rook together under the right conditions
Learn the value of pieces
Control the center of the board
Develop your pieces early
Avoid moving the same piece too many times in the opening
Think before each move
Practice simple tactics like forks, pins, and skewers
Watch for stalemate
Keep your pieces protected
Finish the game by checkmate, resignation, or draw