How to set up a chess board
♟ Understanding the Chess Board: A Beginner’s Guide to the Battlefield
Before you dive into tactics, openings, or famous games, the first step in learning chess is to understand the chess board. This guide will help you grasp the basic layout, structure, and terminology of the board — your battlefield!
A chess board is a square grid made up of 64 squares, arranged in 8 rows and 8 columns. These squares alternate between light and dark colors to create a checkerboard pattern.
📏 Standard size:
- 8 ranks (horizontal rows)
- 8 files (vertical columns)
- 64 total squares (32 light, 32 dark)
Each player (White and Black) starts with 16 pieces placed on their side.
One of the golden rules in chess setup:
👉 “White on the right”
The bottom-right corner square should always be a light square — whether you’re playing online or over-the-board.
Common Mistakes to Highlight:
- Swapping the king and queen.
- Flipping the board (dark square in the wrong corner).
🤴 Kingside vs. Queenside
The board is also split vertically into two sides:
- Queenside: Files a–b–c–d (where the queen starts)
- Kingside: Files e–f–g–h (where the king starts)
Understanding this helps with concepts like castling and strategic planning.
🟩 What Is the Center of the Chess Board?
The chessboard is made up of 64 squares, but not all squares are equally important. The most critical ones lie right in the middle of the board. Almost every beginner opening principle revolves around controlling the center:
The center of the chessboard (squares e4, e5, d4, d5) is the most important battleground in chess. Controlling it gives your pieces more mobility, better attacking chances, and a stronger position.
There are two types of central squares:
1️⃣ The “True” Center (Central Four Squares – Classical center)
These are the four most powerful squares on the board:
- d4, d5, e4, e5
These squares are the heart of the battlefield. Whoever controls them often controls the pace of the game.
2️⃣ The “Extended” Center (Surrounding Squares)
The surrounding 12 squares also influence central control:
- c3, c4, c5, c6
- d3, e3, f3
- f4, f5, f6, d6, e6
Why does the center matter?
✅ Piece Mobility – Knights, bishops, and rooks control more squares from the center.
✅ King Safety – Controlling the center helps with castling and prevents enemy attacks.
✅ Flexibility – You can shift attacks to either side of the board.
Common Mistakes in Center Play
❌ Ignoring the Center – Letting your opponent dominate leads to a passive position.
❌ Overextending Pawns – Pushing too many pawns (like e4, d4, f4) can create weaknesses.
❌ Trading Central Pawns Too Early – Can lead to a loss of control.
📚 Understanding Ranks and Files on a Chessboard
When you begin your chess journey, one of the most important fundamentals to grasp is how the chessboard is structured. Terms like “ranks” and “files” help players understand piece placement, navigate the board, and use chess notation effectively.
♟️ What Are Ranks in Chess?
Ranks are the horizontal rows on a chessboard.
- There are 8 ranks in total.
- They are numbered from 1 to 8, starting from the White side (bottom) to the Black side (top).
- Every square on a given rank shares the same number.
📌 Example:
- The first rank (1st row) contains the main pieces for White: Rooks, Knights, Bishops, Queen, and King.
- A square like e2 is in the 2nd rank, which is typically where White’s pawns begin the game.
🏰 What Are Files in Chess?
Files are the vertical columns on a chessboard.
- There are 8 files, labeled from a to h (left to right from White’s point of view).
- Each square in a file shares the same letter.
📌 Example:
- The a-file is the far-left column, starting with a1 at the bottom.
- The e-file is the central column where both kings usually stand at the start: e1 for White and e8 for Black.
🎯 Why Are Ranks and Files Important?
Understanding ranks and files is essential for:
- Reading and writing chess notation (e.g., “Nf3” means a Knight moves to file f, rank 3).
- Learning tactical patterns (like a rook controlling a file or a pawn reaching the 8th rank).
- Navigating the chessboard logically during gameplay and analysis.
📐 What Is a Diagonal in Chess?
A diagonal is a line of squares that runs corner to corner across the chessboard. Unlike ranks (horizontal) and files (vertical), diagonals go diagonally—either:
- From bottom-left to top-right, or
- From top-left to bottom-right.
Each square on a diagonal touches another square at a corner, not along a side.
Unlike ranks (rows) and files (columns), diagonals connect squares of the same color.
- Example: The longest diagonal on the board runs from a1 to h8 (all dark squares) and h1 to a8 (all light squares).
- Key Feature: A diagonal can be any length, from just two squares (e.g., b3 to c4) to the full eight-square diagonal.
🟩 Types of Diagonals
There are two main types of diagonals:
- Light-square diagonals: All the squares on this diagonal are light-colored.
- Dark-square diagonals: All the squares on this diagonal are dark-colored.
Each bishop starts on a different color and remains on that color for the whole game—making diagonal control their specialty.
🔹 The longest diagonal (a1-h8 or h1-a8) is 8 squares long.
- Total Diagonals – 26 diagonals on the chessboard
✅ All 64 Squares on the Chessboard
Here’s a list of all 64 squares on a standard chessboard
- File a
- a1, a2, a3, a4, a5, a6, a7, a8
- File b
- b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7, b8
- File c
- c1, c2, c3, c4, c5, c6, c7, c8
- File d
- d1, d2, d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8
- File e
- e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7, e8
- File f
- f1, f2, f3, f4, f5, f6, f7, f8
- File g
- g1, g2, g3, g4, g5, g6, g7, g8
- File h
- h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, h7, h8
♟️ How to Place Chess Pieces on a Chessboard – Step by Step
Before placing the pieces, ensure the chessboard is correctly oriented:
✅ Step 1: Position the Board Correctly
- The bottom-right square should be a light-colored square.
- Files are labeled a to h (left to right), and ranks 1 to 8 (bottom to top from White’s view).
✅ Step 1: Place the Rooks in the Corners
- White Rooks go on a1 and h1
- Black Rooks go on a8 and h8
“Think of rooks as castle towers — standing guard at the corners!”
✅ Step 2: Place the Knights Next to the Rooks
- White Knights go on b1 and g1
- Black Knights go on b8 and g8
“Knights ride out beside the castle walls.”
✅ Step 3: Place the Bishops Next to the Knights
- White Bishops go on c1 and f1
- Black Bishops go on c8 and f8
“Bishops stand beside the knights — ready to move diagonally.”
✅ Step 4: Place the Queen on Her Own Color
- White Queen goes on d1 (a white square)
- Black Queen goes on d8 (a black square)
“Queen goes on her own color” — white Queen on white square, black Queen on black square.
✅ Step 5: Place the King on the Remaining Square
- White King goes on e1
- Black King goes on e8
“The King stands beside his Queen — always at the center.”
✅ Step 6: Place the Pawns in Front of the Pieces
- White Pawns go on rank 2 (a2 to h2)
- Black Pawns go on rank 7 (a7 to h7)
“The pawns are the foot soldiers — forming the front line.”
❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Swapping king and queen → Remember: “Queen on her color.”
- Flipping the board → Ensure the bottom-right corner is a light square.
- Misplacing knights and bishops → Knights are closer to the corners.