Check, checkmate and the other rules
The special moves, how a game ends, and the table manners every player is expected to know.
Jump to: Special moves | Check and checkmate | Draws | Touch-move and manners
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.
Special moves
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 For example, White castles kingside by moving the king from e1 to g1 and the rook from h1 to f1. Britannica: chess
You can no longer castle if your king has already moved, or with a rook that has already moved. FIDE Laws of Chess You cannot castle for now if the king’s square, the square it crosses or the square it lands on is attacked, or if any piece stands between the king and the rook. FIDE Laws of Chess
Castling is allowed only once in a game. Britannica: chess
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
Promotion
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
Check and checkmate
A king is in check when one or more of the opponent’s pieces attack it. FIDE Laws of Chess You may not make a move that puts or leaves your own king in check. FIDE Laws of Chess
The aim is to put the other king under attack so that the other player has no legal move. FIDE Laws of Chess The game is won by the player who checkmates the other king. FIDE Laws of Chess
With the new queen and bishop moves, checkmate could come in as few as two moves: the fool’s mate, 1. f3 e6 2. g4 Qh4#. Britannica: chess
Our computer check of that line agrees: after 2 … Qh4 the white king is in check and White has no legal move.
How a game can end
There are three possible results: win, lose or draw. Britannica: chess A player who says they resign loses the game. 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 If neither player can checkmate with any series of legal moves, the game is a draw: a dead position. FIDE Laws of Chess Players can agree a draw, as long as both have made at least one move. FIDE Laws of Chess
Britannica lists six ways to draw: agreeing to it, not enough pieces left to checkmate, endless check (perpetual check), stalemate, the same position three times with the same player to move, and 50 moves with no capture and no pawn move. Britannica: chess
In competitions a win scores one point, a draw half a point and a loss no points. Britannica: chess A game can also end when a player who thinks the position is hopeless gives up. This is called resigning. Britannica: chess
Touch-move and manners
Each move must be played with one hand only. FIDE Laws of Chess If you touch one of your own pieces meaning to move it, you must move the first piece you touched that can be moved. FIDE Laws of Chess
If you touch an opponent’s piece meaning to capture it, you must capture the first piece you touched that can be captured. FIDE Laws of Chess 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