Chess: basics and openings

In short: Chess is a two-player strategy game on a board of 64 squares. The aim is to checkmate the opponent’s king.

In more detail: Each player starts with 16 pieces: king, queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns.

In detail

• Movement: Bishops move diagonally, rooks straight, the queen both, the knight in an L shape, the king one square.
• Special rules: Castling, pawn promotion and en passant.
• Draw: Stalemate, threefold repetition or agreement.
• Opening principles: Control the centre, develop pieces, castle early, do not move the queen too early.
• Well-known openings: Italian Game, Ruy Lopez, Sicilian Defence.
• Endgame: The king becomes an active piece, pawn promotion decides.
• Practice: Tactics puzzles, analyse your own games (spiele-ki-schach-go-und-poker, lernen-lernen-methoden-die-wirklich-funktionieren).