Getting familiar with the way pieces move on a chessboard may sound interesting. The key
to success in competitive chess isn’t only knowing all the chess rules, but also mastering the
crucial chess moves to win. Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the ropes, or a
seasoned player who wants to improve your skills, these 10 chess rules are essential for
understanding and mastering the game of chess.
1. TOUCH- MOVE RULE
Whenever a piece is intentionally touched, it must either be moved or captured. If the piece
may be moved, it must also be captured.
Let’s assume the case where you have touched your own piece. You must move your piece
if the move is allowed. In addition, if you touch another player’s or opponent’s piece, you
must capture it if it’s legal to do so. As a result of breaking the touch move chess rules, you
or your opponent may be forced to make a terrible move that loses the game.
2. PAWN PROMOTIONS
These chess rules apply to your pawn when it is at the 8th rank. This level promotes your
pawn. You can replace it with any queen, knight, rook or bishop (all of the same colour). It is
possible to promote a pawn to a queen even if the queen has already been captured. You
should not replace the piece with another king or pawn, but you can replace it with a queen
that you have already captured. This process is known as queening. In contrast, it’s
underpromotion for other pieces. This is one of the significant chess moves to win the game.
3. FIFTY- MOVE RULE
There is no single rule for this, and it rarely appears on the board or online. If you watch a
grandmaster game, you may hear the commentators discussing these chess rules. The
chess rules state that no captures can be claimed and no pawns may be moved within the
last 50 moves. It stops endgames from dragging on forever when one (or both) players do
not know what to do.
4. INSUFFICIENT MATERIAL DRAW
According to the chess rules, if there is no way to checkmate the opponent, then the game
will be declared a draw. Most often this is the case when both opponents have one king
each. In this case, checkmate is not possible, despite absurd mistakes. Thus, the game is a
draw.
The game can also end in a draw in other situations, for example, when neither side has
pawns on the board, but one of the following pieces: a king and a knight, a king and a
bishop, or a lone king.
5. EN PASSANT
Of all chess rules, this is perhaps the most elusive and difficult to explain. The 15th century
chess masters introduced the rule. The name derives from a French phrase meaning “in
passing”
Only when a player moves his pawn two squares on the first move and places it next to the
opponent’s pawn can en passant actually occur in a game. In this case, the opponent has
the choice of moving his pawn “en passant” or “in passing”, as if the piece had moved only
one square.
6. THREE-FOLD REPETITION
You won’t gain from this chess rule unless you’re keeping track of your opponent’s moves. It
says that if a position comes up three times, the player can declare a draw. The reason for
this is that the game isn’t making any significant progress. And theoretically, this can lead to
an unending game.
Note that this rule’s draw never happens by itself. To benefit from a draw, you or your
opponent must submit a claim to the arbitrator.
7. THE SEVENTY-FIVE-MOVE RULE
The rule, introduced only in 2016, only applies when no pawn moves or other captures have
occurred during a set of 75 moves. As a result, the result of the game is a draw. However,
neither you nor your opponent claim the draw in this situation. Instead, the arbiter declares a
draw on behalf of you or your opponent.
8. STALEMATE & DRAW
A stalemate occurs when one side cannot make legal moves. If the king is not in check and
no piece can be moved without putting the king in check, the game ends in a draw, that is a
stalemate.
In the endgame, the stalemate saves the day. This situation gives a weaker player the
opportunity to draw a game he would otherwise have lost.
9. CASTLING
The only time you can move two pieces at once in the game is by executing a special
manoeuvre called castling. This involves only the king and the rook (no other chess pieces).
There are Kingside castling and Queenside castling.
To castle on the kingside, you mostly move the king out of the middle of the board and move
the rook in the direction of the action.
Remember that castling on the queenside (sometimes known as “long castling”) is very
advantageous because it can help put your rook on an open line. Strong competitors will
agree that these chess rules can lead to more thrilling games, so you need to think carefully
about castling on the queenside.
10. RESIGNING
In chess, the resigning chess rule allows a player to end the game by resigning instead of
continuing until checkmate. This often happens when a player believes that they have no
chance of winning and would rather save time and energy by ending the game early.
Almost all formal chess games, including tournaments and matches, use the resigning chess
rules. They are designed to allow players to end a game early when it is clear that one
player has a strong advantage, rather than forcing them to play on until checkmate.
Conclusion
By understanding and following these chess rules, you’re well on your way to becoming a
good chess player. These are the best moves to win at chess. If you’re ready to take your
game to the next level, be sure to check out our chess classes at Eight Times Eight. Our
experienced instructors will help you hone your skills and become a master of the game, as
we follow the syllabus curated by Grandmaster S L Narayanan. It’s our goal is to instil in
children a love of chess in children that reaches beyond just winning
We offer online chess classes for talented, aspiring and eligible students. The activities
outlined in our programmes will support your child’s improvement with a structured
approach.
To know more, give us a call +91 96055 10101