| Orthodox rules (with shuffled starting position).
p.
- Chess is played between two players, one moving the white pieces and the other
- the black pieces. A "move" consists of a piece's movement on the board.
+ Chess is played between two players, one moving the white pieces and the
+ other the black pieces. A "move" consists of a piece's movement on the board.
White and black moves alternate until a specific situation occurs (checkmate,
stalemate, or draw criteria met; this is detailed later).
White pieces' player always make the first move.
p.
- Each piece has a particular way to move, but almost always captures by moving to an
- occupied square (with only one exception, detailed later).
+ Each piece has a particular way to move, but almost always captures by moving
+ to an occupied square (with only one exception, detailed later).
figure.diagram-container
.diagram
p.
They are the weakest units on board, but the most complex to move.
- From their initial rank they can either jump two squares forward (vertically),
- or advance only one square in this same direction. After that first move they
- only advance one square at a time, vertically, moving up.
+ From their initial rank they can either jump two squares forward
+ (vertically), or advance only one square in this same direction. After that
+ first move they only advance one square at a time, vertically, moving up.
p.
Pawns capture by moving forward (upper on the board) one square diagonally,
p.
Moves notations: "pawn" is implicit, so for a simple move we only write the
- destination square (because only one pawn at most can move forward to a specific
- square). Thus, 1.e5 means "pawn from e4 to e5". However, in case of captures
- the situation could be ambiguous (two pawns on the same rank), so the column
- is specified too: "fxe6" (for example).
+ destination square (because only one pawn at most can move forward to a
+ specific square). Thus, 1.e5 means "pawn from e4 to e5". However, in case of
+ captures the situation could be ambiguous (two pawns on the same rank), so
+ the column is specified too: "fxe6" (for example).
As you can see capture is marked by a cross symbol: "x".
figure.diagram-container
figcaption Possible pawn moves: g3, g4, dxc5, bxc5
p
- | For a piece movement, we just prepend the upper-case piece initial before the
- | previously described notation. A rook taking something on f3 square writes:
- | Rxf3. There are rules for ambiguous situation, but discussing them now would
- | be too far off-topic. Please visit for example the
+ | For a piece movement, we just prepend the upper-case piece initial before
+ | the previously described notation. A rook taking something on f3 square
+ | writes: Rxf3. There are rules for ambiguous situation, but discussing them
+ | now would be too far off-topic. Please visit for example the
a(href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algebraic_notation_(chess)")
| Wikipedia page
| for full information on this subject.
h4 Rooks
p.
- They move either horizontally or vertically, as far as they want while the path
- is free of pieces. If this path ends with an enemy piece, it can a priori be captured
- (a priori because if the move ends up with the king in check, then it's illegal).
+ They move either horizontally or vertically, as far as they want while the
+ path is free of pieces. If this path ends with an enemy piece, it can a
+ priori be captured (a priori because if the move ends up with the king in
+ check, then it's illegal).
h4 Knights
p.
- They are the only units able to jump over other pieces (without capturing them).
- They do "L" moves: two squares in one direction (horizontally or vertically),
- and then one square in an orthogonal direction.
+ They are the only units able to jump over other pieces (without capturing
+ them). They do "L" moves: two squares in one direction (horizontally or
+ vertically), and then one square in an orthogonal direction.
figure.diagram-container
.diagram
h4 Queen
-p This piece combines the movement of a rook and a bishop, with the same conditions.
+p.
+ This piece combines the movement of a rook and a bishop, with the same
+ conditions.
h4 King
p.
- This piece moves like a queen, but only by one square at a time. The final square
- must be either vacant or occupied by an enemy piece (therefore captured).
+ This piece moves like a queen, but only by one square at a time. The final
+ square must be either vacant or occupied by an enemy piece (therefore
+ captured).
p.
The king cannot be captured, but a move may ends up attacking enemy's king.
li move the king to a safe square, or
li capture the attacker, or
li intercept the attacking line.
-p Depending on the situation one or more of these counter-measures could be impossible.
+p.
+ Depending on the situation one or more of these counter-measures could be
+ impossible.
p Leaving our king in check after a move is forbidden.
h3 Special moves
-p Apart from pawn promotion which has already been introduced, two special moves exist:
+p.
+ Apart from pawn promotion which has already been introduced, two special
+ moves exist:
ul
li.
- castle: if both the king and the right-most (from white player perspective) rook
- haven't moved yet, and if nothing stand in the path from king to rook, and if the
- squares f1 and g1 are either free or occupied by the king or rook implied, then
- the king can go to g1 while the rook moves to f1. Note that since positions are
- shuffled one of these two pieces may apparently not move.
- The same can be done on the other side (left-most rook), and end squares are c1
- for king and d1 for rook. The former is small castle, and the latter large castle.
+ castle: if both the king and the right-most (from white player perspective)
+ rook haven't moved yet, and if nothing stand in the path from king to rook,
+ and if the squares f1 and g1 are either free or occupied by the king or
+ rook implied, then the king can go to g1 while the rook moves to f1. Note
+ that since positions are shuffled one of these two pieces may apparently
+ not move. The same can be done on the other side (left-most rook), and end
+ squares are c1 for king and d1 for rook. The former is small castle, and
+ the latter large castle.
Notation: small castle writes "0-0" while large castle is "0-0-0".
li.
- en-passant: after a pawn has jumped two squares, if an enemy pawn stands just next
- to it then it can capture the jumping pawn "en passant", exactly as if it had
- advanced only one square. The move is noted as usual, but with "e.p." in the end
- to indicate the special move.
- The capture is possible only right after the pawn jump: not later in the game.
+ en-passant: after a pawn has jumped two squares, if an enemy pawn stands
+ just next to it then it can capture the jumping pawn "en passant", exactly
+ as if it had advanced only one square. The move is noted as usual, but
+ with "e.p." in the end to indicate the special move. The capture is
+ possible only right after the pawn jump: not later in the game.
figure.diagram-container
.diagram.diag12
The best-known way to end a game is by "checkmating" the enemy king.
This means that you end a move in a situation where the king can be captured,
and your opponent has no way to avoid the capture.
- The checkmating player has one point and the other zero, so the score writes 1-0
- or 0-1 depending if white pieces or black pieces mated.
+ The checkmating player has one point and the other zero, so the score writes
+ 1-0 or 0-1 depending if white pieces or black pieces mated.
figure.diagram-container
.diagram
same player in turn,
li when 50 moves are played without pawn movement or capture.
p.
- Note: this last way to end a game is not implemented, because it quite seldom occurs,
- does not generalize so well to variants (it depends), and more important because
- games played on this website are not official tournament games. If you feel like
- manoeuvring for 200 moves and your opponent isn't bored, then why would I stop you? :)
+ Note: this last way to end a game is not implemented, because it quite seldom
+ occurs, does not generalize so well to variants (it depends), and more
+ important because games played on this website are not official tournament
+ games. If you feel like manoeuvring for 200 moves and your opponent isn't
+ bored, then keep going :)