This page provides the instructions for setting up chess board before beginning the game. The instructions are easy to follow for beginners and kids. Easily learn the piece setup through chess board setup diagrams given below for both white and black pieces.
Squares in chess board
The square board consists of 64 squares, with alternating pattern of black and white. Each square is identified by the combination of column name and row number. The squared are referred between a1 and h8. Each column is identified by the letters a to h. Each row is identified by the number between 1 to 8 starting from the row close to the white player. For example, the white king’s default position is e1 and black queens default position is d8 .
The chess board is setup in such a way that the square a1 is at the left side of the white player. The player of black pieces gets h8 on their left. This means irrespective of the color you choose, i.e, either black or white, the board position will have the dark square at your bottom left.
Ranks and files of chess board
Each row and column at the chess board is called rank and file respectively.
Rank in chess
Each row that goes across the chess board horizontally is called rank. The rank is identified by the number. Rank starts from 1 and ends at 8. The rank 1 is closer to the white player and rank 8 is closer to the black player.
File in Chess
Each column in chess board is called a file. Files are referred by the alphabets a to h. The file a is at the left most position to white player while h file is at the left most position to black player.
Piece arrangement
Please read the detailed instruction of chess board arrangement of chess pieces
Colors of chess pieces
Two colors primarily exist in each chess set. One is generally lighter in colour or white. Other one is dar in color or black. Each player gets 16 pieces. The pieces of chess are
The pieces vary in height. The shortest piece is Pawn and the tallest piece is King as shown in the photograph of chess pieces which shows the height variation among chess pieces.
Initial setup of chess board
The initial chess board setup is arrived by arranging the pieces in the following manner.
- Rook is placed at the corners a1, a8, h1 and h8
- Knight is placed next to the rank at first and eighth rank and b and g file
- Bishop is placed next to King and Queen at the files c and f
- Queen is placed at the square same as its colour. White Queen is placed at d4 and Black queen is placed at d8.
- King is placed at e1 and e8 .
- pawns occupy the second and eighth rank .
Staunton chess set
Nathenial cooke designed the chess set that is currently used as a standard set of chess pieces. His chess set was promoted by one of the english chess masters Howard staunton in one of his news paper columns in 1849. Since then, the set of chess pieces is called Staunton set.
The height of the Staunton chess set is usually referred to height of the King .
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Table of Contents
- Squares in chess board
- Ranks and files of chess board
- Piece arrangement
- Colors of chess pieces
- Initial setup of chess board
- Staunton chess set
