How to Play

Everything you need to start a game: how the pieces move, the special rules, and the controls in this board. Blue pieces are White, orange pieces are Black.

Piece movement

Pawn

One square forward (two on its first move); captures diagonally. Promotes on the last rank.

Rook

Any number of squares in straight lines — ranks and files.

Knight

An L-shape: two squares one way, one square across. The only piece that jumps.

Bishop

Any number of squares diagonally; stays on one colour all game.

Queen

Any number of squares in any direction — the strongest piece.

King

One square in any direction. Must never move into check.

Special rules

Castling
King moves two squares toward an unmoved rook, rook jumps over. Not allowed through or out of check.
En passant
A pawn that just advanced two squares can be captured as if it had moved one.
Promotion
A pawn reaching the far rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight — pick from the on-board menu.
Check & checkmate
Check means the king is attacked. Checkmate — no legal escape — ends the game.
Draws
Stalemate, insufficient material, threefold repetition, or the fifty-move rule.

Board controls

  • Drag a piece, or tap it and tap a highlighted square, to move.
  • Legal destinations show as soft dots; captures show as rings.
  • The last move keeps a purple glow on its start and end squares.
  • Flip board, Undo, Redo, New game and a Sound toggle sit under the board.
  • Share link copies a URL that restores the exact position and move list.