Key points from the infographic
- The aim of chess is to checkmate your opponent’s king.
- The board is set so that each player has a light square in the right hand corner nearest to them.
- White always moves first, and the players then take turns.
- Each of the six pieces has its own move: king one square, queen any distance in any straight line, rook along ranks and files, bishop along diagonals, knight in an L shape, and pawn forward one square (two on its first move) while capturing diagonally.
- Three special moves are named: pawn promotion, castling and en passant.
- The game is won by checkmate, when the king is in check and has no way out.
All points are from the graphic by Battle Of Chess. They match the official FIDE Laws of Chess [2].
How to play chess, the infographic in text
Title: How to Play Chess? A Step-by-Step Guide. Under the title is a pawn wearing a graduation cap on a green and white checked square.
Opening line: The main purpose/goal of chess is to checkmate your opponent!
Setup the chessboard. A photograph shows a wooden board with both sets of pieces in their starting positions. Text: The chessboard is laid out so that each player has the white (or light) squares in the most-right corners!
Chess rules. Player with the white pieces starts the game by moving first.
| Allowed (green tick) | Not allowed (red cross) |
|---|---|
| Move on the empty squares. | Move pass through other pieces (except knight). |
| Move on the opponent’s piece square by capturing it. | Move onto a square with their own pieces. |
Chess pieces, movement.
| Piece | How it moves, as printed |
|---|---|
| King | One square in any direction |
| Queen | As far as possible (Forward, Backward, Sideways and Diagonally) |
| Rook | As far as possible (Forward, Backward and Sideways) |
| Knight | L-shape move (2 squares in one direction and then move at an angle of 90 degrees) |
| Bishop | Infinite moves diagonally |
| Pawn | Move forward and capture diagonally (First move, 1 or 2 squares. Rest, one square) |
Special moves, shown in three circles: Pawn Promotion, Castling, En-Passant.
How to win the Game/Battle Of Chess? Checkmate. Checkmate happens only when the king of one player is put into check and there is no way for the king to get out of the check.
Footer: Brought to you by Battle Of Chess. Play chess, learn chess and earn from chess. www.battleofchess.com. References: battleofchess.com/how-to-play-chess, chess-teacher.com/chess-rules, instructables.com/id/Playing-Chess, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_chess, ichess.net/blog/rules-of-chess, momjunction.com/articles/how-to-play-chess-for-kids.
What the official rules add
The graphic is a summary. The FIDE Laws of Chess, which govern rated games, fill in the parts it leaves out [2]:
- The board. It has 64 squares in an 8 by 8 grid, placed so that the near corner square to each player’s right is light [2].
- The pieces. Each side starts with 16: a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns [2].
- No jumping. The bishop, rook and queen may not move over other pieces, and no piece may move to a square held by a piece of its own colour. The knight is the only piece that can pass over others [2].
- Check. A king is in check when an opposing piece attacks it, and no move may leave or put your own king in check [2]. This is why the king’s “one square in any direction” is limited in practice.
- Castling. The king moves two squares towards a rook, and that rook jumps to the square the king crossed. It counts as a single king move [2].
- En passant. If a pawn advances two squares and lands beside an opposing pawn, that pawn can capture it as if it had moved one square, but only on the very next move [2].
The point values of the pieces
The infographic does not give piece values, but the Battle Of Chess article it comes from does: queen 9 points, rook 5, knight 3, bishop 3 and pawn 1, with the king described as priceless because losing it loses the game [1]. These values are a common guide for judging trades. They are not part of the official rules.
Notes on this infographic
- “Move pass through other pieces (except knight)” is the graphic’s wording. It means pieces cannot move through other pieces, and the knight is the exception because it jumps [2].
- “Infinite moves diagonally” for the bishop means any number of empty squares along a diagonal, up to the edge of the board or the first piece in the way [2].
- The king’s move is shown without the rule that it may never move into check [2].
- Checkmate is the only way to win shown here. Under FIDE rules a game can also end by resignation, by running out of time, or in a draw such as stalemate [2].
- The first reference on the graphic is printed as “https://.battleofchess.com/how-to-play-chess/”, missing the “www”.
Questions about how to play chess
How do you play chess?
Two players take turns moving one piece at a time, starting with White. Each piece moves in its own way, pieces are captured by moving onto their square, and the aim is to checkmate the opposing king so that it is attacked and cannot escape [2].
How does pawn promotion work?
When a pawn reaches the far side of the board, it must be exchanged as part of the same move for a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour. The new piece takes effect at once [2]. The Battle Of Chess article notes that you can choose a piece even if you still have one of that type on the board [1].
What is stalemate in chess?
Stalemate is when the player whose turn it is has no legal move and their king is not in check. The game ends immediately as a draw [2].
Sources
- Battle Of Chess, How to Play Chess, A Step-by-Step Guide. The creator’s original post with this infographic (opened via the Internet Archive copy of 10 April 2026 because the live site did not respond).
- FIDE, Laws of Chess, FIDE Handbook, Articles 1 to 5.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
