How To: Play chess for beginners

Impress your friends! Learn the game of kings and queens.

Step 1: Set up the queens and kings

Step 2: Set up the rest of the board

Step 3: Learn the object of the game

Step 4: Learn the moves

If one of your pawns makes it to the other side of the board, you can exchange it for any other piece.

Step 5: Play a game

The player who controls the center of the board has a strong advantage.

Step 6: Capture pieces

Step 7: Capture en passant

Try to capture your opponent's most valuable pieces: the queen, castles, knights, and bishops.

Step 8: Learn to castle

Step 9: Win

Fact: The number of possible variations in a chess game has been calculated at 10 to the power of 120 – more than the number of electrons in the universe.