The chess board and how to set it up
How to set up a chess board: which way the board goes, where each of the 16 pieces starts, and who moves first. How the pieces move · lesson 1 of 8.
The lesson in words
Chess is played on a board of 64 squares, 8 by 8. Each player has 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops, a queen and a king.
White always moves first, then the players take turns.
Turn the board so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner. A quick way to remember it: “light on the right”.
The rooks go in the corners, then the knights, then the bishops. The pawns fill the row in front.
The queen starts on a square of her own colour: the white queen on a light square, the black queen on a dark one.
Try it: Tap the white queen.
Black’s pieces mirror White’s: queen on d8, king on e8.
Try it: Tap the black king.
That’s the starting position. Next, meet the pieces one at a time, starting with the rook.
Questions
Who makes the first move in a game of chess?
White always moves first. Players usually swap colours between games.