How to Play Chess
Master the game on Shatrang Online, powered by Velovid Software
Chess Basics
Chess is a strategy board game played between two players on an 8x8 chequered board. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king. On Shatrang Online, we follow FIDE (International Chess Federation) rules to ensure a fair and competitive environment for all our players.
Board Setup
The board is set up with:
- 8 pawns on the second rank
- 2 rooks in the corners
- 2 knights next to the rooks
- 2 bishops next to the knights
- Queen on her own color (white queen on light square, black queen on dark square)
- King on the remaining center square
Remember: White on the right! (The bottom-right square should be light colored)
How Pieces Move
♟ Pawn
- Moves forward one square (two squares on first move)
- Captures diagonally forward
- Promotes to any piece (usually Queen) upon reaching the opposite end
- Can capture "En Passant" (special pawn capture)
♜ Rook
- Moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically
- Cannot jump over pieces
- Used in Castling
♞ Knight
- Moves in an "L" shape: two squares in one direction, then one square perpendicular
- The only piece that can jump over others
♝ Bishop
- Moves any number of squares diagonally
- Cannot jump over pieces
- Stays on squares of the same color throughout the game
♛ Queen
- The most powerful piece
- Combines the movement of Rook and Bishop
- Moves any number of squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally
♚ King
- Moves one square in any direction
- Cannot move into a threatened square (Check)
- Can Castle (special move with Rook)