How to Play Chess

The Chessboard

Chess is played on a chessboard of 64 squares.

It has a checkered pattern of 32 dark and 32 light squares.

There are 8 squares along each side of the chessboard, so 8 x 8 = 64.

The 8 vertical columns are called files.

The files are lettered from A to H.

The 8 horizontal rows are called ranks.

The ranks are numbered from 1 to 8.

The White Player sits alongside Rank 1.

The Black Player sits alongside Rank 8.

Each square can be identified by its file and rank.

Square A1 is the bottom-left square.

Square H8 is the top-right square.

The white player sits on one side of the chessboard and the black player sits on the opposite side.

The corner square nearest the right-hand side of each player must be a light-colored square.