The goal of chess is to checkmate the opponent's king!
Checkmate occurs when the opponent's king is attacked by one of your chess pieces and can't escape, either by moving the king away or getting protection from other chess pieces.
Now let’s learn how to set up the chessboard and how pieces move!
SETTING UP THE CHESS BOARD
The chess board consists of 64 squares with 8 horizontal ranks and 8 vertical files.
If you look closely at a chess board, you will see numbers and letters.
They are used for “Algebraic notation,” a method for recording and describing the moves in a game of chess.
The vertical columns of squares, called files, are labeled a through h from White's left (the queenside) to right (the kingside).
The horizontal rows of squares, called ranks, are numbered 1 to 8 starting from White's side of the board.
Each square has a unique identification of file letter followed by rank number.
SETTING UP THE PIECES
Every player has 16 chess pieces: 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops, and a single queen and king.
The pawns are situated on the second rank in front of your other chess pieces.
The rooks sit in the corners, next to them the knights, then the bishops.
The queen sits on the square of her own color, and the king stands next to her.