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How to play Chess – Questions and Answers

Are you a beginner at chess? You probably have many questions about how to play chess.

Use the Form at the end of this page to ask Chess Questions

Please write as much as you can to describe your problem as detailed as possible, so others understand what you are talking about and can join the learning process as well.

Study first the lessons at Basic Chess Rules and make some effort yourself to learn the basics first, otherwise your questions are far too easy and might be outright stupid and will bore the others.
After that, please read: What are the Basics of Chess?

For example, avoid questions like: Can a knight checkmate the king? Of course, it can. All pieces can checkmate a king, a pawn too. Study Checkmates

After that, continue and go to Chess for Beginners.
When I started chess myself I had lots of Questions about Chess
Please read the answers to many questions on this page below, to get some knowledge about chess first, then ask. Most likely your question is already answered.

When you ask a question then please upload a diagram or image of the position or I may be unable to understand your question. And write down the coordinates of the position!

If necessary, I will correct any errors in spelling myself later, so your text will look good.

Create Your Diagrams here and download them to your computer, after that you can upload them to my site below.

Please, if you talk about a chess position here then learn and give exact chess notation or nobody will understand what you are talking about. Give coordinates of pieces (bishops, knights, rooks, kings, queens) first, then the coordinates of pawns.

EXAMPLE:

Below you see the notation for the position in the diagram.
White: Rd2, Nf3, Kg2, g3
Black: Re7, Bf6, Kg7, g6, h7

how to play chess
R-Rook, N-Knight, B-Bishop, Q-Queen, K-King
For pawns just use coordinates ONLY

How to play Chess?

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page…

Chess Openings

What is the best Chess Opening in Chess?
Chess Openings for White at Club Level
Stonewall Attack – Is this a good Opening?
Is Stonewall a playable opening?
Bizarre white move in Slav Exchange
Queens Gambit – How is this opening for White
Opening Repertoires and Opening Selection
Question on King’s Gambit
About Chess Openings
How do you win Chess in 2 Moves?
What are the best first 3 Moves in Chess

Middlegame

How to “analyze” Enemy Moves?
Question about Pawn Promotion
King moving into Check?
Why would White resign this Position?
Check – but not Checkmated
Bobby Fischer versus P. Dely
Morphy’s Opera House Game
Not Castled
How to win
King in Center
En Passant out of Check?
Early Exchange of Queens

Endgame

What does the Knight do in Chess?
Rook and Knight Endgame
Draws
Checkmate with two Bishops
En Passant Capture not possible
Can the King capture a Piece?
Checkmate with Bishop and Knight Only?
Chess Endgame Book
Draw in King vs Pawn Endgame?
King and Rook-Pawn versus King – Endgame
How is it a Stalemate?
King and Rook versus King and Knight
How is this a Stalemate?
Mate with 2 Knights
How to give Checkmate with a Rook?
Is King Rook vs King Rook a Draw?
Pawn and King Endgame
Endgame Rook and King versus Bishop and King?
What happens if only a King is left in Chess?

Other

Understanding Chess Engines and Cross Tables
How can I tell what the approx ELO for the computer is?
Anand – Carlsen head to head chess record
How To Test A Checkmate
Do I have to declare Check here?
Can a King capture a protected Piece?
Please solve the attached Puzzle
Fifty Move Rule to give Checkmate
How do I aquire a Chess Rating?
How to improve my Chess Rating?
How do Chess Traps work in the Openings?
Stalemate and Chess Scoring Outcome?
King versus King and Knight – Draw
Touch Move Rule – Moved – or not Moved?
Opponent doesn’t/will not play with Chess Clock
Pinned Pawn
I don’t feel comfortable or relaxed when playing a Chess Match. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Chess King Capture
Checking the King – Example
Smothered Mate
Chess Clock at 0
Who won or is this a Draw?
Promoting a Pawn
Promoting a Pawn – Explained
Promoting a Pawn and giving Checkmate – Explained
Extreme high chess rating for Bobby Fischer?
Does time matter at all when only two Kings are left on the Board?
King-Rook Switch in Chess Castling
Do I need to know all the names of Chess Openings and Traps as a terminology?
If you pickup, is it rule to move?
Is there a 16 Move Rule?
What would happen if you ran out of Time?
Thought Process in Chess
Chess Board Visualization in Mind – Blindfold Chess
How to Capture the Check Giving Piece
What is an Open and Half Open File?
En Passant Choice?
En Passant Examples
A Pawn can capture anytime!
Pawn last Rank Promotions when playing against “Computer”
Check this Position!
The Winner!
Draw
Can I teach myself Chess?
What is the best Chess Strategy?
Is En Passant legal?
Can a Human beat a Chess Computer?
What is Bullet Chess?
Unnoticed Check
How do you defend in Chess?

Chess for Dummies

Chess for Dummies
How do you win Chess in 2 Moves?
What is the Scholar’s Mate in Chess?

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How Chess Grandmaster Igor Smirnov developed his chess teaching system.