King · 王
The piece you must protect; losing it by checkmate loses the game.
Chess Rules
Chess is a two-player strategy game on an 8×8 board with 16 pieces per side. The rules are centuries old but still the global standard for competitive mind sport. Here is everything you need to set up a legal game and finish with checkmate.
Objective
- Checkmate the enemy king — put it in check (under attack) with no legal way to escape, capture the attacker, or block the line.
- If the king is in check but can escape, the game continues. If you have no legal move and your king is NOT in check, that is stalemate and a draw.
Board & Setup
- The board is 8×8 with alternating light and dark squares; a white square always sits on the right-hand corner from each player's view.
- Each side starts with 16 pieces in the same fixed order: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns.
How the Pieces Move
- Pawn: moves forward one square (two on its first move) and captures diagonally.
- Knight: jumps in an L shape (two then one) — the only piece that can leap over others.
- Bishop: slides any distance along diagonals.
- Rook: slides any distance along ranks and files.
- Queen: slides any distance in any direction — the most powerful piece.
- King: moves one square in any direction; it may never move into check.
Turn Order
- White always moves first, then players alternate, moving exactly one piece per turn.
- You may not skip a turn, and if your king is in check you must address it immediately.
Special Moves
- Castling: move the king two squares toward a rook and hop the rook to the square beside it — the only move that moves two pieces, used to tuck the king into safety (conditions apply).
- En passant: if an enemy pawn rushes two squares forward and lands beside your pawn, you may capture it as if it had moved only one square.
- Promotion: when a pawn reaches the far rank it must become a queen, rook, bishop, or knight — almost always a queen.
End of the Game
- Checkmate ends the game in a win for the side that delivered it.
- Draws occur by stalemate, threefold repetition, the fifty-move rule, or insufficient material (for example king versus king).
The Six Pieces
The piece types you will meet on the board:
Queen · 后
Moves in every direction — the strongest piece on the board.
Rook · 车
Slides along ranks and files; powerful in the endgame.
Bishop · 象
Slides diagonally; each bishop stays on one colour of squares.
Knight · 马
Jumps in an L; the only piece that leaps over others.
Pawn · 兵
Marches forward, captures diagonally, and can promote at the far rank.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Chess?
Each side has 16 pieces and takes turns moving on the 8×8 board. The goal is checkmate — trapping the opponent's king so it is attacked and cannot escape. White moves first.
What is castling?
Under the right conditions the king and a rook move together: the king slides two squares toward the rook and the rook jumps to the square beside the king. It is the only move that moves two pieces at once, and it tucks the king into safety.
What is en passant?
When an enemy pawn rushes two squares forward and lands beside your pawn, you may capture it as if it had moved only one square. It is the only rule where you capture a piece on a square it did not land on.
How does promotion work?
When a pawn reaches the far rank it must be promoted to a queen, rook, bishop, or knight — almost always a queen. YiBoard auto-promotes to queen.
Can I play Chess online for free?
Yes. On YiBoard, open /chess to play free against AI with several difficulty levels — no signup required.