How to set up a chess board

Have you ever found yourself staring at a chess board, unsure of how to arrange the pieces before plunging into a match? You’re not alone! Many beginners and even some seasoned players can sometimes forget the proper setup, leading to frustration when they’re eager to start their game. In this guide, we’ll demystify the chess board setup so you can jump straight into strategy without any confusion.

To set up a chess board, place the board so that a white square is on each player’s nearest right corner. Position the rooks in the corners, knights next to them, followed by bishops, and finally, place the queens on their corresponding colors (white queen on white square, black queen on black square) and the kings on the remaining squares. Fill the second row with pawns.

Setting up a chess board correctly is crucial for any game of chess. Start by ensuring that the board is oriented correctly: the bottom right square for both players should be a light-colored square. Once you have the board set up this way, it’s time to position the pieces.

You will begin with the rooks, placing them on the corners of the board. Thus, on the 1st rank (the row closest to each player), place one rook on the a1 square and another on h1 for white. For black, place rooks on a8 and h8. Next to each rook, you will position the knights. Place white knights on b1 and g1, and black knights on b8 and g8.

After the knights, it’s time for the bishops. White bishops go on c1 and f1, while black bishops will be placed on c8 and f8. Now, it’s crucial to set the queens and kings correctly. The queens will occupy the center squares: the white queen goes on d1 (the white square) and the black queen on d8 (the black square). Finally, place each king on the remaining squares next to the queens: the white king on e1 and the black king on e8.

Finally, the second row (or the 2nd rank for white and the 7th rank for black) is filled with pawns, allowing you to have a full set in place. Your chess board is now ready, and you can start your game confident in your setup!