2nd lesson: How to setup a game

Now –as you know-the board is set up that a dark square is in the left hand corner.

You remember the 8 ranks (horizontal rows) and the files (vertical rows).

Now I`ll tell you how to setup the pieces: The white ones are placed on the 1^st and 2^nd ranks

(a1-h1and  a2-h2), the black ones on the last boths ranks (a7-h7 and a8-h8). Please look at the graphic below.

  The white king is placed on e1, the white queen left beside him on d1, left beside the queen on c1 and right beside the king on f1 there are the bishops, then on b1 and g1 the knights, on the outer sides left and right on a1 and h1 the rooks. On the second rank (a2-h2) there are placed the 8 pawns.

Now the black pieces: the king is placed on e8, the queen on d8, the bishops on c8 and f8, the knights on b8 and g8, the rooks again on the outer side, on a8 and h8. On the 7 th rank are placed the black pawns. Please see at the graphic. Note: do you see that the white and black pieces stand opposite to another? Imagine a mirror on the board, sharing it into 2 pieces, then you see, both colors of pieces are placed as the same. Now we have the starting position, the one what you begin the game with. (please look a while at the graphic before.

Now I can give you a link, unfortunately it is without notation of the board, but there you can test how good you understand to move the pieces and setup the game.

http://www.apronus.com/chess/wbeditor.php  .  

Try it out!

If you click on “starting-position” it will be setup, if you click “clear board” you`ll see only the board without pieces. Then you can setup each position (pieces) on the board. If you click: "make diagram", you can save it as picture into a folder for own pictures. So you can follow all the steps we`ll go with learning chess. Please look and read what is written about the graphic. We`ll work with it many times. It`s the only one I could find what you needn`t install before using and where you can test playing and trying out the pieces`s moves. If you want to see the board smaller or bigger, click at “change square size”. It`s a real nice site that is available each time!

Very important with setting up the game: The queens must be opposite to another, the white one on a light( d1) , the black one on a dark square (d8).

Now try to setup the pieces by the link for yourself! Now, this was the second lesson! Now you know how the pieces move and to setup a game, the beginning of learning a very nice game! As your assignment please answer the polls for this lesson in the forum.          LESSON 3