Chess has been played for ages but it is thought to have been played in India in 5A.D.Numerous legends exist about chess but no one really knows who invented it. It is an intellectual competition between two players. Chess is played on a square board and is divided into 64 equal squares that are alternately white and dark.
The total number of chessmen is 32, with 16 being white and the other 16 being black. If one of the players decides to use the white men then the other has to take the Black men. You may be wondering what a chessman refers to. It’s really quite simple. A chessman refers to either a pawn or a piece. Therefore at the start of a game there are eight pawns and eight pieces for each side. Each player has the following types of pieces: King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight and pawn. Usually the player with the white men is referred to as “white “whereas the player with the black men is referred to as “Black”. Therefore the side of the board which contains the White men is referred to the “white side “whereas the side of the body with the Black men is called the “Black side”.
If the board is now divided equally, vertically, the Queens would appear on one side whereas the Kings would be stationed on the other side. The side that contains the Queens is called the “Queenside “whereas the side that contains the Kings is called the “Kingside”. The white’s Kingside is always situated in the right side and the Black’s is situated in the left. This never changes, no matter the movements of the Kings and the Queens.
As a matter of fact, each player moves in turn. The white is usually the one obliged to start. Two consecutive moves by the same player is not allowed as it goes against the rules of the game. A move is referred to as a transfer of a man from the square on which it is located to another one in which it is allowed to move to.Consequently, if an opposite man is on the square to which one intends to move to, it is removed from the board and it cannot be permitted to take part in the game any more. Therefore the number of men in a game can only decrease and not increase. Another important concept is that a square cannot be simultaneously occupied by the two men, and a player is never allowed to capture his own men. Each type of chessmen moves in his own way, and also all men of the same type move in the same way.
The ultimate aim of the game is to make sure that the opponent’s men are captured. The person who succeeds in doing so will emerge the winner. If none of the players succeeds in doing so, then the game will end in a draw.
The above rules are just a snapshot of the whole process. As you advance in the game, more rules will be learnt and this will make you even a greater player. However remember to always practice as learning in theory never amounts to much without real practical experience.