Chess Basics: Play, Learn, Win!
A beginner's guide to the royal game Learn the pieces, rules, and strategies Perfect for Year 6 students
What is Chess?
A strategy game for two players Played on an 8x8 checkered board Each player starts with 16 pieces Goal: Capture the opponent's king
Meet the Chess Pieces
Let's identify each piece! Point to each piece as we name it Remember their special shapes Count how many of each piece there are
The Mighty Pieces: King and Queen
King: Most important piece Moves one square in any direction Queen: Most powerful piece Moves any distance in straight or diagonal lines
The Castle Guards: Rooks and Bishops
Rooks (Castles): Move in straight lines Forward, backward, left, and right Bishops: Move diagonally only Stay on their starting color squares
The Horse Riders: Knights
Knights move in an 'L' shape Two squares in one direction, then one square perpendicular Only piece that can 'jump' over others Practice the L-shaped move!
The Front Line: Pawns
Smallest but important pieces Move forward one square at a time First move can be two squares Capture diagonally forward
Quick Quiz Time!
Which piece can only move diagonally? What shape does a knight move in? Which piece is the most powerful? How many pawns does each player start with?
Basic Chess Rules
{"left":"White always moves first\nTake turns moving one piece\nCapture by landing on opponent's square","right":"Say 'Check' when attacking the king\nGame ends with 'Checkmate'\nPlayers shake hands before and after"}
Your Chess Journey Begins!
Practice moving pieces correctly Play games with friends and family Learn from every game you play Remember: Have fun and be a good sport!