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Beginner -
Learning the Rules
Introduction

Thank you for using Optichess to take your chess game to the next level. Whether you've never played a game of chess before or want to break the 2000 Elo mark, our team at Optichess strives to provide you with the most efficient and detailed plan on how to improve your chess game quickly.

We have made it our mission to condense our knowledge from many hundreds of chess books and various courses and videos and make it available to you in the best possible way to improve your chess performance. Why we started this project: Everyone on our team has not been familiar with the rules of chess since early childhood and no one was a so-called prodigy. We all started with low Elo, we are talking about 400 Elo on online platforms or even less. Nevertheless, we were all eager to improve our chess game and keep developing. For this reason, we know how difficult it is to improve quickly and effectively without the right literature or a coach. We have spent many hundreds to thousands of hours studying various chess books, courses, videos or other tips and tricks and have improved our chess game accordingly. All of our team members have managed to achieve an Elo rating of more than 2000 Elo on various online platforms.

On our chess journey, however, we have repeatedly encountered a common problem. As a beginner, you search every corner of the internet for tips and tricks, good chess books that will improve you quickly, the perfect opening, the perfect middle game strategy and the absolutely perfected endgame theory. However, most tips and most books and videos are based on the same principle.

A specific position is presented and the author or chess coach explains why the following move was good, bad or best according to the engine. Don't get us wrong, this way of teaching can be effective and outstanding, but we have found it difficult to improve quickly and effectively using this method. There are some, if not a few, brilliant sources of tips and brilliant chess coaches who can efficiently improve your chess performance. For this reason, we would like to present on this website the tips and principles that have helped us a lot.
Absolute Beginner


This section is suitable for you if you have never played a game of chess, have not mastered, or forgotten the rules of chess, or if you would like to brush up on them.


Chessboard

The chessboard is the heart of the chess game and consists of a square playing field with 64 squares, which are alternately colored dark and light. The squares are arranged in eight rows (horizontally) and eight columns (vertically). The rows are usually labeled with the letters a to h, while the columns are labeled with the numbers 1 to 8.
The center of the chessboard is an important area comprising four squares: e4, e5, d4 and d5. These squares are known for their strategic importance and are often heavily contested during the course of the game.
At the start of every game of chess, the pieces are placed on the chessboard in a specific formation. Each player has 16 pieces, consisting of eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, a queen, a king and two rooks. The pawns are placed on each player's second row, while the remaining pieces are placed on the first row. The positioning of the pieces is symmetrical. The queen is initially placed on the square of her own color at the beginning of a chess game, which is located in the center adjacent to the bishop and the king.

Every piece in chess is unique and has special abilities and movement patterns that distinguish it from other pieces. From the quick and versatile knight to the powerful and agile queen, each piece has its own characteristic traits and strengths that it can use in the game. It is important to note that each piece may only be moved according to the specific rules and movement patterns of the game of chess.
Pawn (P):
Movement: The pawn moves forward, but can only move one square per turn, except on its first move when it has the option to move two squares forward. It captures diagonally forward and can only capture opponents on these diagonals.
Special features: When a pawn reaches the opponent's back rank, it can be promoted to another piece (except for the king)
Rook (R):
Movement: The rook moves either horizontally or vertically across the chessboard. It can move as many squares as it wants, but only along a row or a line.
Special features: There are two rooks on each board, one on the a-file (left for White, right for Black) and one on the h-file. They cannot occupy the same square.

Rooks are powerful pieces in the endgame, especially when they are on open files (files without pawns of either color). They can control entire rows or columns of the board, restricting the opponent's pieces and supporting their own pawns in their advance toward promotion. Additionally, rooks can work together effectively in coordinating attacks or creating threats against the opponent's king. Due to their long-range movement capabilities, rooks are often key players in creating and executing strategic plans throughout the game.
Knight (N):
Movement: The knight moves in an L-shaped pattern. It can move two squares in one direction (horizontal or vertical) and then one square to the left or right, or vice versa.
Special features: The knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces.
Bishop (B):
Movement: The bishop moves diagonally across the board. It can move as many squares as it wants, but only along a diagonal.
Special features: There are two bishops on each board, one on the dark squares and one on the light squares. They cannot occupy the same square.
Queen (Q):
Movement: The queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard and can move horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. It can move as many squares as it wants.
Special features: The queen combines the movements of the rook and bishop and can therefore execute a variety of attacks and defenses.
King (K):
Movement: The king can move one square in any direction - horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Special features: The king is the most important piece on the chessboard and must be protected. If it is in check and has no legal moves, the game is lost.
Understanding the Objective: Achieving Checkmate in Chess

In the intricate game of chess, achieving checkmate is the ultimate objective. Checkmate occurs when a player's king is under attack and there is no legal move that can be made to escape capture. This pivotal moment signals the end of the game, with the victorious player emerging triumphant.
To orchestrate a checkmate, players strategically position their pieces to exert pressure on the opponent's king.
This often involves coordinating attacks with multiple pieces to restrict the king's movement and create a suffocating environment.
A 'check' occurs when the opponent's king is under direct threat of capture. The opposing player must then respond by either moving the king out of harm's way, blocking the attack with another piece, or capturing the threatening piece. However, if no such legal moves are available, the king is in 'checkmate,' and the game is over.
Special moves in chess

Castling : Castling is a defensive maneuver that involves moving the king two squares towards a rook on its initial square, then moving the rook to the square adjacent to the king on the opposite side. There are two types of castling: kingside castling, where the king moves two squares towards the rook on its right, and queenside castling, where the king moves two squares towards the rook on its left. Castling is subject to several conditions:
Neither the king nor the rook involved in castling have previously moved.
There are no pieces between the king and the rook.
The king is not in check before or after castling.
The squares the king crosses and the square the king lands on are not under attack by any of the opponent's pieces.
Castling cannot be used to move the king out of check.

Castling is a fundamental defensive maneuver in chess that serves several crucial purposes, making it a move of significant importance. Here's why castling is often recommended and why it should be executed when the opportunity arises:

King Safety : The primary purpose of castling is to enhance the safety of the king. By moving the king to a sheltered position behind a wall of pawns and with a rook protecting it, castling reduces the king's vulnerability to attacks, particularly in the early to mid-game stages. With the king tucked away in a corner and the rook positioned alongside, it becomes harder for the opponent to launch direct attacks against the king.

Activation of the Rook : Castling also serves to activate one of the rooks, bringing it from its initial corner position into a more central role. This enhances the rook's mobility and increases its potential to influence the game, as centralized rooks can support pawn pushes, control open files, and contribute to both offensive and defensive strategies.

Control of the Center: Castling facilitates the control of the center, a critical aspect of chess strategy. By moving the king to safety, players can redirect their attention towards occupying and controlling the central squares with their remaining pieces, which is essential for maintaining a strong position and launching attacks.

Connects Rooks: Castling often results in connecting the rooks, meaning both rooks are positioned on the same rank, typically the back rank. Connected rooks can work together more effectively, supporting each other's actions and coordinating attacks along open files. This can significantly increase the player's tactical options and offensive potential.

Time Efficiency: Castling allows players to develop their king's safety while simultaneously activating a rook, accomplishing two important objectives with a single move. This time efficiency can be crucial in chess, where every move counts towards establishing a favorable position and gaining a competitive advantage.
Rules Adherence, and Time Management in Chess

Illegal Moves: In chess, illegal moves are those that violate the rules of the game. This can include moving a piece to a square where it cannot legally go, such as moving a bishop diagonally through occupied squares or moving the king into check. If a player makes an illegal move, it is the opponent's responsibility to point it out, and the position must be restored to the state before the illegal move was made. The player who made the illegal move may be penalized with additional time on the clock or, in tournament play, even forfeit the game if the infraction is severe or repeated.


Time Management: Time management is crucial in chess, especially in games played with a chess clock. Each player has a set amount of time to make all of their moves, and if this time is exceeded, the player may lose the game. Players must balance the need for careful consideration of each move with the necessity of playing quickly enough to avoid time pressure. Time management skills improve with experience and practice, and players often develop personal strategies for allocating time based on the specific demands of the position.

Other Fundamental Rules: Several other fundamental rules govern the conduct of chess games. These include:
Touch-move rule: If a player touches one of their pieces, they must move it if it is legal to do so.
Threefold repetition: If the same position occurs three times with the same player to move and the same possible moves available, the game is drawn.
Fifty-move rule: If no captures or pawn moves have occurred in the last fifty moves by each player, a player can claim a draw.
Stalemate: If a player's king is not in check, but they have no legal moves, the game is drawn.
Pawn Promotion,

also known as pawn conversion or queening, is a fundamental aspect of chess strategy that occurs when a pawn advances to the eighth rank of the opponent's side of the board. Upon reaching this rank, the pawn must be immediately promoted to any other piece except a king. Typically, players choose to promote the pawn to a queen, as it is the most powerful piece on the board. However, promotion to a knight, bishop, or rook is also possible, depending on the player's strategic objectives and the specific needs of the position.

Mechanics of Promotion : When a pawn reaches the eighth rank, the player must exchange it for a more powerful piece. This is done by physically replacing the pawn with the chosen piece on the board. The newly promoted piece inherits the pawn's position on the board and can immediately participate in the game.

Strategic Considerations: The choice of which piece to promote the pawn to depends on various factors, including the position of other pieces on the board, the player's overall strategy, and the specific demands of the position. Promoting to a queen is often the most common and advantageous choice due to the queen's versatility and power, allowing for greater control over the board and increased offensive capabilities.
En passant (French for "in passing") is a unique pawn capture rule in chess that can occur under specific circumstances. It's crucial to understand its intricacies for both defensive and offensive purposes.

Occurrence: En passant can only occur when all the following conditions are met:
An opponent's pawn moves two squares forward from its starting position on its initial move.
The moving pawn lands adjacent to one of the player's pawns on the fifth rank (for White) or the fourth rank (for Black).
The player chooses to capture the moving pawn "en passant" on their next move.

Immediate Response: En passant must be executed immediately on the next turn after the opponent's pawn makes the two-square move. If the player doesn't capture en passant on the following turn, the opportunity is lost, and the game continues without the possibility of capturing that pawn en passant in the future.

Pawn's Final Square: When capturing en passant, the capturing pawn moves diagonally to the square that the opponent's pawn would have occupied if it had moved only one square forward. This means that the capturing pawn ends up on the same rank as the captured pawn.

Capture Consequences: En passant captures are treated the same as any other pawn capture. The capturing pawn replaces the captured pawn on the board, and the capturing player can continue their turn as usual.

Strategy and Tactics: Understanding en passant is essential for both defense and offense. For the player moving the pawns, en passant can be used strategically to open up lines or disrupt the opponent's pawn structure. On the defensive side, players must be vigilant and recognize when their pawns are vulnerable to en passant captures, especially in the opening and early middle game.

The rule of "en passant" in chess emerged during the Renaissance period in response to the introduction of the double-square pawn move. It prevented players from bypassing pawn captures by moving two squares forward, thus enhancing the strategic depth of pawn dynamics. En passant became a standard rule in chess by the 15th century, influencing strategic considerations and adding complexity to pawn play. Its historical origins underscore its significance as a fundamental aspect of modern chess strategy.
Kingside castling
En passant
Queenside castling
Pawn Promotion
To best learn the rules of chess, it's advisable to adopt a structured approach. Beginners should first grasp the basic movements and rules of each chess piece, including their patterns of movement, values, and special moves such as castling and pawn promotion. This can be achieved through reading beginner instructional books, watching online tutorials, or playing beginner-level games with other learners. Practical practice is crucial to deepen understanding and internalize the rules. It's also helpful to regularly play games and pay attention to the application of the rules.

The following books are my recommendations: