How to Setup a Chess Board (With Diagrams!)
As an experienced tournament player, it always annoys me how often chess movies and television shows get simple things like board setup incorrect! For a game as complicated as chess, it’s an one of the easiest details to get correct!
The first step in setting up a chess board correctly is orienting a white square to the bottom right corner, regardless of which color pieces you’re playing. On the back row, add rooks to the outside squares, followed by knights and bishops. The queen should be placed on her corresponding color (black queen on the black square, white queen on the white square). Finally the kings are placed on the empty back space. Pawns are placed on each square of the second rank.
There’s a simple saying that helps people remember how to orient and place the queen. “White on right, queen on color!” Continue reading for additional details and diagrams!
Chess Board Orientation
Orienting the board correctly is the first step, and it has to be done correctly or else placing the queen on her corresponding color will result in the board being set up incorrectly. When you place the board, ensure that a white square is on the bottom right corner! “White on right.”
Setting Up the Chess Pieces
Now that you have your board oriented correctly, it’s time to set up the back row. If you look at the chess pieces that sit on the back row, the rooks are the shortest, followed by the knights, then bishops, and then queen and king. And that’s the exact order you place them on the board! Begin with the shortest pieces, the rooks. Place them on the outside squares of the back row.
Next we add knights beside the rooks.
Next we add the bishops.
Now we add the queen to her color! If you’re setting up the black pieces, the queen goes on the black (or dark) square. If you’re setting up the white pieces, the queen goes on the white (or light) square. “Queen on color!”
Finally, place the king on the remaining square.
Now that you have the chess pieces on the back row setup correctly, the final remaining step is to place one pawn on each of the eight squares of the second row, and you’re done!
Now What?
Chess is an amazing game! It’s beautiful, it’s classic, and it can teach you a lot about life! Now that you have the board pieces set up correctly it’s time to learn how to play the game! Learn some tactics, learn some opening principles, learn how to checkmate! But most importantly, have fun!
