How To Play Chess | The 4-Step Gentleman’s Guide

Learninghow to play chess is one of those skills that every gentleman should have - nestled between knowing how to tie a necktie and casting the perfect fishing line. Luckily, it’s not too hard to cover the basics. All you need is a chessboard and a littlebit of practice to get the ball rolling. 

Are you eager to learnhow to play chess? Get started with our step-by-step guide below - check it out! 

The History Of Chess

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s cover the basics - where did chess come from?

The game of chess can be traced as far back as the 6th century - initially emerging in India and spreading throughout Asia. During this time, the game had developed as a means to test and display military strategy and battle tactics. Though as chess reached Europe in the 10th century, the game began to take its modern form - with rules standardising and the pieces beingreimagined to fit and reflect the setting. 

Today, chess is a widely enjoyed game that can be enjoyed in many capacities - whether it’s in professional competition, casually online, or anywhere in between. 

How To Play Chess

Are you ready to learnhow to play chess? Let’s get stuck into the fundamentals!

Set-Up The Board 

To get started with chess, the first thing you’ll need to do is set-up the pieces on the board - sounds simple enough, right?

First, orientate the board so both players have a light square in their bottom right-hand side - from here you can start to arrange the chess pieces. In the row closest to you, the rooks will fit into the corners, followed by knights, and bishops. The queen will fit on her matching square (e.g. light-coloured queen will go on the white square), and the king will take the remaining slot. 

Setting up the second row is as simple as filling it with the remaining pawns.  

Learn How Each Piece Moves 

Across the board, you’ll notice there are 6 different types of chess pieces - and each of them have rules regarding how they can move. 

Pawns.They can only move forward and can attack one-square diagonally at a time. 

Rooks. These pieces are great for defending since they can move in straight lines as far as they’d like. 

Knights. There’s no other piece on the chessboard that moves the way knights do. They can jump over other pieces - moving two squares forward followed by one square either left or right to create an upside-down ‘L’ shape. 

Bishop. Similar to rooks, bishops can move as far as they need to - but instead, they can only move diagonally. 

Queen. Since the queen can move as far as she’d like in any direction, she proves to be the powerhouse of the chessboard. 

King. Lastly, we have the king - and although he’s the most crucial piece on the board, he’s also the weakest. The king can only move one square at a time in any direction. 

Who Makes The First Move?

Traditionally in chess, the person with the lighter set will make the first move - and the person who gets to use this lighter set is decided by a quick game of chance. This could be done by drawing straws, flipping a coin, or a guessing game.

Once the white piece has started, black will follow, then white, then black, etc. This will repeat until the game concludes. 

How To Win Chess

There are a few ways to finish a game of chess, which we’ve detailed below:

Checkmate. The entire purpose of chess is to get your opponent into a check-mate position. This means the king is in the ‘cross-hairs’ and has no other way of avoiding your attack. If the king cannot escape or deflect this incoming attack, the game is over. 

Draw.Just like with many games, chess can end with no definitive winner in the form of a draw. This could come from a variety of situations - such as a stalemate situation or if not enough pieces are left on the board to play.

The Best Chest Sets To Buy

When it comes to mastering the art of chess, practice makes perfect. Below, we’ve listed some classy chess boards for you to begin your chess-playing journey - take a look!

Classic Metal Chess Set | $499.00

First up, we have this premium Classic Metal Chess Set by Italfama - made in Italy. The 36 x 36 cm board boasts a luxurious black and gold colour combination, with an eco-leather border. 

To top it off, this particular set can be easily transformed to play backgammon or checkers - perfect for anyone looking for a versatile chessboard. 

Classic Chess Set | $649.00

For those chasing a chess set with a traditional design, this Classic Chess Set by Italfama is a perfect choice. The 32 x 32 cm board is Italian made, with hand-crafted metal and wooden pieces. 

To keep the pieces dust-free and in good condition, there’s also a sleek set of drawers built into the board to store the individual pieces. 

Medieval Themed Chess Set With Elm Burl Case | $1,299.00

This deluxe Medieval Themed Chess Set by Italfama is on a completely new level of quality - with hand-painted and medieval-themed chess pieces designed to showcase the essence of this period. The set is accompanied by an elmwood burl and maple veneer chess board - with a single drawer chess case for storage and a set of round legs to raise the piece if needed. 

This undeniably lavish set isn’t only a privilege to play upon, but it also proves to be an interesting set to grace any home.