ChessschoolHow to set up a chessboard
Get the board and pieces right before playing your first move.
Orient the board
From each player’s side, the bottom-right corner must be a light square. Files are labelled a–h from White’s left to right, and ranks are numbered 1–8 from White’s side.
Place the pieces
White’s back rank is rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook, from a1 to h1. White pawns occupy rank 2. Black’s pieces mirror this on rank 8, with pawns on rank 7. The queen starts on her own colour.
Check before starting
White’s queen belongs on d1 and king on e1. Black’s queen belongs on d8 and king on e8. White moves first. If the queen and king are reversed, fix the position before playing.
Try it yourself
What colour is h1, the bottom-right square from White’s side?
Check the answer
Light. Remember: a light square on the right.
Put it into practice
Open the related lesson Practise with puzzles
Sources and corrections
For the official rules, see the FIDE Laws of Chess. Found an error? Send the position and page address.