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The traditional way to introduce chess is to start with the board, and then the pieces, and then how the game is played. We’ll get to that, but before we dive in let’s talk a little about the game of chess in general.
Below is a game of chess which has been partly played. You might recognise the player who is playing white – the famous Magnus Carlsen!
Don’t worry, you don’t need to understand everything that’s going on, but as you look at this image, here’s some thing to think about.
What is Chess?
Imagine you’re leading a brave army into battle on a special checkered field! That’s exactly what chess is! It’s a super fun board game played by two players, where you use strategy and smart moves to try and win.
The Board:
The game is played on a square board that looks like a checkerboard, with squares that are light and dark. It’s your battlefield!
Your Army:
Each player gets their very own army of different pieces. You’ll have big ones, small ones, and some that look like horses or castles! Each piece in your army is important and has its own special way of moving around the board.
The Big Goal:
Your main mission in chess is to capture the other player’s most important piece: their special King! If you can trap their King so it has nowhere safe to go, you win the game!
How to Play:
- Setting Up: You’ll set up your army in a special way on your side of the board.
- Taking Turns: You and your opponent take turns, moving just one of your pieces each time.
- Moving Around: Every piece has its own unique way it can move on the squares.
- Capturing: If you move one of your pieces to a square where an opponent’s piece is, you can capture it and take it off the board!
- “Check!” Sometimes, your King might be in danger! When that happens, it’s called “Check!” You have to quickly move your King to safety, block the danger, or capture the piece that’s threatening your King.
- “Checkmate!” If your King is in “Check” and there’s no way at all to keep him safe on your turn, then it’s “Checkmate!” That means the game is over, and you’ve won!
Why Chess is Awesome!
Chess is fantastic because it’s like a big puzzle! It helps you think, plan ahead, and imagine what might happen next. It’s a game that makes your brain stronger and is super exciting when you make a clever move!
Let’s see a quick game in action!
One more thing before we go – click through the game below. It’s a very old and very famous one. It involves wild, attacking chess with each player desperate to get to the other’s kind. You don’t need to know how the pieces work, or understand why the pieces were moved in the way they were – just think about how the armies moved across the board! Maybe one day you’ll be able to play like this.
Ready to learn about your army and how they move? Let’s go to our first proper lesson – Lesson 1 – Introducing the chess board!