Chess for beginners: the rules and 8 tips to win your first games

6 November 2026 · Jakoz Gaming

Chess looks complicated, but you can learn the rules in ten minutes and start winning games against friends within a week. Here is the short version.

How the pieces move

• King: one square in any direction.
• Queen: any number of squares in a straight line or diagonal.
• Rook: straight lines, any distance.
• Bishop: diagonals, any distance.
• Knight: an L shape (two then one), and it can jump over pieces.
• Pawn: one square forward (two on its first move), captures one square diagonally forward.

The goal

Put the enemy king in check so that it cannot escape: that is checkmate and you win. If a player has no legal move but is not in check, it is stalemate, a draw.

Special moves

• Castling: king moves two squares towards a rook and the rook jumps over. Only if neither has moved and the king is not in or passing through check.
• Promotion: a pawn reaching the last row becomes a queen (or another piece you choose).
• En passant: a special pawn capture right after an enemy pawn moves two squares past yours.

8 tips for your first games

1. Control the centre with your pawns early.
2. Bring out knights and bishops before the queen.
3. Castle early to keep your king safe.
4. Before every move, ask: what is my opponent threatening?
5. Do not move the same piece twice in the opening without a reason.
6. Trade pieces when you are ahead.
7. Rooks love open lines; put them where pawns have left.
8. In the endgame, the king becomes a fighting piece. Use it.

Practise against the computer at easy, medium or hard, or challenge a friend with voice chat: play Chess free on Jakoz.

Frequently asked questions