Questions people actually ask
Short answers, each with its source. Longer ones live on the topic pages.
How do I set up a chessboard?
The board goes between the players so that the near corner square on each player’s right is a white (light) square. FIDE Laws of Chess The white queen starts on d1 and the black queen on d8. Britannica: chess
Who moves first?
White makes the first move, then the players take turns. FIDE Laws of Chess
How does the knight move?
A knight moves in an L-shape: two squares one way and then one square to the side. It can jump over other pieces. Britannica: chess A knight always lands on a square of a different colour. Britannica: chess
Can a pawn move backwards?
A pawn can only move forward. It can never go back. Britannica: chess
What is castling?
In castling, the king moves two squares towards a rook, then that rook jumps to the square the king has just crossed. It counts as one king move. FIDE Laws of Chess Castling is allowed only once in a game. Britannica: chess
What is en passant?
If a pawn has just moved two squares and lands beside an opponent’s pawn, that pawn may capture it as if it had moved only one square. This is called en passant, and it is only allowed on the very next move. FIDE Laws of Chess
What is the difference between checkmate and stalemate?
The aim is to put the other king under attack so that the other player has no legal move. FIDE Laws of Chess If the player to move has no legal move and their king is not in check, the game is a draw. This is called stalemate. FIDE Laws of Chess
Can I have two queens?
A pawn that reaches the far rank must be swapped, in the same move, for a new queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour. FIDE Laws of Chess You can choose any of those pieces, even if none of them has been captured. FIDE Laws of Chess
What does “j’adoube” mean?
Only the player whose turn it is may straighten a piece on its square, and they must say so first, for example “j’adoube” or “I adjust”. FIDE Laws of Chess
Why is the knight written N?
In English, each piece is shown by a capital letter: K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop and N knight (N, so it is not mixed up with the king). FIDE Laws of Chess
Where did chess come from?
Chess first appeared in India in about the 6th century CE, as a game called chaturanga. Britannica: chess By the 10th century it had spread from Asia to the Middle East and Europe. Britannica: chess
This site explains the basic rules in plain words. Every rule links to the FIDE Laws of Chess or to Britannica, and the build checks each one against the source text. For a tournament or club competition, the FIDE Laws themselves (and the organiser’s own rules) are what count.