I can't learn to play chess. Teaching a child to play chess from scratch: a step-by-step method. How champions think about their moves

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Even in ancient times, many people from different social strata were fascinated by this mysterious world and the beauty of such an art as chess. For the first time looking at the process of this interesting and most exciting game, you might think that in front of you is a very ordinary board, which consists of 32 white and 32 black squares, on which 32 figures are located. In fact, everything is not as simple as it seems!

Start

It all depends on your plans - do you want to be a simple amateur or become a professional? In the second case, you will need to contact a personal trainer. After all, to learn all the basics of playing chess, you will need to work hard.

To begin, place the chessboard in front of you so that there is a black square in the lower left corner.

So, there should be pawns in the first row. After them come the rooks. Then the horses. Then the bishops follow, and the queen and king are placed in the center. The white queen must always be on a white square, and the black queen must always be on a black square.

Only two people can play. The first is on a white field, the second is on a black field.

You need to take turns walking.

Only one piece moves per move.

King

This is a key figure (but at the same time the weakest). If he suddenly “dies”, consider that you have already lost the game. The king moves to any square in the neighborhood, although only one square. Essentially, our main task is to put the opponent’s king in a hopeless position called checkmate. If you declare checkmate, victory is yours!

Queen

The queen (or queen) is the strong piece No. 1. It can move forward and backward, diagonally, vertically and horizontally. In just one move, either one square or the entire field can be covered.

Pawn

This is the weakest figure in this game. Can only move forward and only one square (or a double move, when in one move it can hit several opponent figures at once).

An interesting fact is that from the weakest piece, a pawn can become the strongest by removing another piece on the board (besides the king).

How to play correctly

We explained the theory a little. Now about the main thing. How to play chess correctly? Especially when the game has already started and one figure is blocking the path of another. So, read and remember.

If your figure is on the path, the path will be closed. In the case when there is an enemy piece of a different color, you can beat it and clear the further path.

Let's look at a specific example. Let's imagine that the white pawn's path is blocked by a black one. For example, having captured a rook, a white pawn moves to another file and continues its movement. Having passed the entire chess field completely, the pawn can turn into any piece.

But there is one exception - the king. His pawn cannot capture, but it puts him in check. After a check, the king must immediately be protected by the one who plays for him. For example, protect it with another piece and go to a safe zone (field). If the “attack” on the king is repeated again, checkmate will be declared. The game is over.

When choosing an activity for a child outside the home: a club, a section, or organizing family leisure, wise parents will remember chess. The famous Soviet teacher Vasily Sukhomlinsky said: “Without chess it is impossible to imagine a full-fledged education mental abilities and memory." These are not just words: research results show that children who play this game learn better, are more organized and balanced.

From this article you will learn

The benefits of chess for children

The entire list of qualities that contributes to the development ancient game, difficult to convey. Here are a few main benefits:

  • Development of ability reason and think logically. The game requires thinking through each step, the ability to anticipate the possible reaction of a partner, and the ability to solve multi-purpose problems.
  • Playing chess can influence growth of creativity and imagination. During the game, both hemispheres of the brain work, which increases the ability to think outside the box.
  • Strengthening sports skills: a long stay in a static position develops perseverance, endurance, attentiveness, the ability to lose correctly and the desire to win. The game requires composure and restraint.

Chess lessons improve memory, learn responsibility And independence. It is not for nothing that many kindergartens introduce additional classes in this sport as preparation for school.

Why do you want to teach your child chess?

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    Develop logical thinking 36%, 691 voice

    Develop perseverance 18%, 337 votes

    Raise a future champion 4%, 69 votes

23.05.2018

When to start training

The debate about the age at which to teach the game does not give a clear answer.

  • The rules of the game are introduced starting from 3 years old when children are keenly interested in everything around them.
  • IN 4 years The child has better developed communication skills.
  • IN 5 years a trained child will already be able to anticipate the opponent’s move.
  • Many of the grandmasters mastered the basics of the game, picking up chess for the first time at this age, and at 6-7 years old they were already worthy opponents to adult players.

There is a well-known photo of the future grandmaster Jose Raul Capablanca, where he plays with his father at four years old.

But the goal of raising a new champion is not worth setting. It's better to enter game uniform training.

The main thing is to interest the baby at any stage. If possible, it is better to start teaching children chess at home. Firstly, parents know better what can captivate their child, secondly, there is no attachment to the regime, thirdly, family ties are strengthened and the budget is saved.

How to get your baby interested in playing

As you know, forbidden fruit is sweet. Use this principle as follows. Before introducing your child to chess, periodically take out the game, arrange the pieces, and you can even play a few games with a family member or friends in front of the child.

To his questions and requests to play, answer that this is for older children and that he will definitely be able to play it, but later, when he grows up. After this, put the game away so that the child cannot get it himself.

Important! Be adamant and do not comply with your child’s requests to give him a game. Remember that in these moments his desire will grow and your child will soon begin to dream of getting to know chess better.

After some time (from 2 weeks to two months), solemnly inform the child that he has already grown up and is ready to join this great game. But the first acquaintance should be short ( no more than 10 minutes). Give your child the opportunity to touch the pieces, the board, and ask you questions, but you need to start teaching the rules of the game in the next lesson, which should also be short ( no more than 10-15 minutes).

This way, your child will look forward to his first introduction to chess and every subsequent lesson. Remember that all people, and especially children, value what is in short supply.

You can also interest your child by letting him watch a cartoon about chess, for example “The Fixies.”

Rules of the game

The first lesson largely determines whether the child will be interested in the game. At first, it’s good for children to just watch their parents or loved ones compete; this is a kind of preparatory period.

If interest arises, you can come up with a fairy tale about a chess country in which battles are being fought. The goal of the game is to prevent the opponent's king from moving.

The battle is conducted according to special rules, and each piece has a position on the board and advantageous capabilities:


This is interesting! During the Middle Ages, the queen was one of the weakest pieces. Queen Isabella of Spain gave him special powers, having come up with new rules.

Learning process

It is better to prepare your child in advance for learning, let him watch a cartoon about chess, and tell his story. In the first lessons, give a description of the current figures, introduce them to their capabilities and differences from others. It is better to devote a separate lesson to each.

Then show how they work in conjunction with each other. Since it is not advisable for classes to last more than twenty minutes, this may take a whole year.

At this stage, it is important to often play with the child, for example in " Guess the figure": a blindfolded child is given an object, and he must guess the names of the shapes. Or ask to list all the differences between one game character and another.

You need to teach your child to correctly place all the objects on the board. As soon as he remembers how the main “heroes” act and where their place is on the board, you can teach the rules of the game step by step. At first, it is recommended to arrange scenes with a small number of figures.

A little chess player who has mastered the basics must understand the basic principles:

  • Always provide covering for his king.
  • Game characters can be eaten only if they are sacrificed in favor of a coup.
  • The weaker the figure, the closer to the center she must stand.
  • It is advisable to play the entire chess army. The toy army is strong in its entirety, besides, each figure has its own role, the baby must understand this.
  • The value of the figures varies: a rook is more valuable than a pawn, and the king, although influential, is helpless. It is advisable to neutralize the opponent's chess queen first.

Many kids don't like the black color of the figures. It must be explained that white has only one advantage: it gives the right to make the first move.

On a note! At first you can play only with pawns, then offer to play simple sketches with the participation of other figures.

When the student has mastered all the rules, introduce him to the basic concepts of chess: what is castling, gambit and how to play etudes.

In the video below, an experienced children's chess coach explains where to start and what to focus on when teaching your child the game at first.

If your child doesn't want to play, don't insist. It is better to maintain interest in the process than to get quick results. Learning under pressure will cause harm instead of benefit and pleasure.

  • Winning the game will be motivating, but often no need to give in to the baby, otherwise he will decide that there is no need to study further. But if he loses all the time, he will quickly lose interest in chess.
  • Better play regularly and duration of classes. At first they should be brief.
  • Interested additionally: draw and sculpt figures, watch cartoons about chess. The preparatory stage for playing chess can be practicing checkers.
  • It is useful to discuss its progress after the game, what mistakes were made, and what actions were successful. A timely hint would be useful.
  • Need to celebrate the child's successes, praise for non-trivial solutions.
  • Preschoolers should not participate in tournaments: Losing can traumatize a child’s psyche.
  • Useful to tell tales of chess pieces. You can take your baby to a club or use computer programs, but it’s better if he learns from close people. The lifestyle of a preschool child is most influenced by the parental model of behavior.

On a note! Many teachers advise purchasing a set with large wooden figures coated with shiny varnish: kids are delighted with them.

See how an experienced trainer conducts his training and what he focuses the student’s attention on.

People teaching a child should also develop their skills and experience, firstly, he will begin to ask questions, and secondly, soon the former beginner may outgrow the teacher.

Which textbook to choose

Currently there are many teaching aids? as well as online books on playing chess for children. Teaching them helps to achieve the desired effect. Select a technique from the following:

Important! The best book or instruction will not be effective if children are not taught chess systematically. Rather than go through different methods, it is better to carefully study one of them.

If there is a club in the kindergarten, enroll your son or daughter in it. Video tutorials and master classes from the Internet can also be useful. The main thing is that the time a preschooler spends at the computer does not exceed the recommended amount. Didactic materials, books - all this will work if parents sincerely support the child’s desire to learn chess wisdom.

A young chess player, even playing occasionally, will later be able to more easily master mathematics and other exact sciences. The influence of the game on the formation of personality is difficult to overestimate. It’s impossible to guess whether the little one will become a grandmaster or not, but it’s clear that he will grow up independent, learn to win and lose, analyze and make decisions.

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One of the most ancient games on the planet, a pastime of kings and nobility. An applied tool that made it possible to win battles for armies of many thousands long before Chapaev picked up a potato. Get ready, the tour begins Magic world figures and cells.

What are the benefits of chess?

Dear readers, are there any parents you know whose children are not calm and persevering? Perhaps they have bad grades at school, attention deficit. And many adults cannot always boast of the ability to concentrate. At the same time, it would not hurt to develop observation skills and hone logical thinking.

Tell me, would anyone like to improve these indicators? You ask: how? The answer is simple - chess! Absolutely anyone can learn to play well. Not to say it’s easy, but you are guaranteed to improve your thinking!

This is such an amazing game that they even erected a monument in Medford (Oregon). By the way, the second chair is empty, maybe we should join?

Where to learn to play chess

Today, in the age of the Internet and high technology, this is not a problem at all. But we will return to this later. Let's start with something more real and down to earth. Take a walk through your city's parks in warm weather on your day off. You'll probably find several battles on the benches. Feel free to approach and ask, experts will certainly tell you where the section or circle of chess lovers is located.

What to do if it rains, snows, slush? Take a look at the city portal and ask questions on the forums. In Soviet times, this was a fairly popular sport (yes, by the way), and you will definitely find an echo of it not far from home.

Well, if it’s not fate, as they say, help will come network with all its power virtual world. Here you will find everything! Even how to learn to play chess in 30 minutes. Electronic and paper books, free and on order, video training and recordings international tournaments. Everything is at your disposal!

The main thing is desire, and finding a source of knowledge in our time is very easy. Our article can become a kind of initial textbook.

Arrangement of figures

So, the textbook has been chosen, the lectures have been listened to, the theory has been mastered. It's time to start practicing. The board consists of 64 cells. A square with a side of 8 fields. The letters of the Latin alphabet from A to H are usually written horizontally, and numbers from 1 to 8 are written vertically. Each cell has its own address, for example B6 or C4. This makes it easier to fix the batch. Professional players Record every move, yours and your opponent's. These guys know exactly how to learn to play chess.

On the second and seventh ranks there are black and white pawns, respectively. The figures are placed on the first and eighth. At the beginning of the game, rooks are placed in the corners, and knights are placed on verticals B and G. Next, on C and F, are the bishops, and in the center are the king and queen (sometimes called the queen, although originally it is the vizier). The main rule of arrangement is that the queen loves her color. So white is on D1 and black is on D8.

The game usually begins with a pawn move. The famous E2-E4. Less often the horse goes first. White always has the right to start.

Now let's figure out what capabilities the figures have. Without this, it is impossible to learn to play chess quickly.

Who walks how

So, infantry, it is, of course, the queen of the fields, but painfully slow. While they are building, redeploying, digging in. This is later - hurray! And into battle.

It's exactly the same here. The pawn moves only forward and only one square. The exception is the start of movement. You can jump and immediately find yourself on the 4th and 5th horizontal lines, respectively. She only attacks obliquely. If it reaches the opposite end of the board, it turns into any piece except the king. This is the hidden potential.

In general, in in capable hands and with a trained eye, you can do a lot with pawns!

The king moves in a similar way. He is a royal person among us; he should not rush. Therefore, only one cell, gentlemen, in any direction. The exception is long castling, but more on that later.

How to learn to play chess if you don’t know that the knight always moves in the letter “L”? Kids are usually taught the saying “jump, jump and sideways”, that is, 2 fields straight and one to the side. Take a closer look at the picture, it shows the cavalry at the bottom.


The next piece is the rook. This is a chariot. It is very powerful and heavy, so it only rushes in a straight line, although it can go very far. Move it freely horizontally and vertically in any direction. In the picture it is shown on the right.

Most strong hero of this strategy is the queen. Advisor, vizier, eminence grise. All power in the state is in his hands. Therefore, the powers are the highest. He calmly walks in any direction for an unlimited number of cells. Look at the drawing above on the page. The crown on it represents the queen.

Elephant, who is also an officer, is a rather extravagant character. He can only move diagonally, and only of the color on which he stood at the beginning of the game. In terms of strength, he is comparable to a horse, although he is a little faster in terms of reaction. By the time he jumps in zigzags, the elephant will have finished everything.

Game theory

Are you still asking how to learn to play chess? Take your time. After the basics are mastered, we move on to deeper knowledge. Without them, you are guaranteed to fail in this field.

And there is a lot of theory, especially since all of it will have to be worked out in practice. There are few sections, but there is a lot of accumulated information!

So, there is a division of the party into three parts. The opening is the beginning, the middlegame is the middle and the endgame is the end. Each of them is studied separately, and then in the game they try to act out a familiar situation.

The second section is how the shapes interact. From simple (attack, support, restriction, overlap) to complex tactical and masterly strategic plots. The latter begin in the opening, but can only become clear in the endgame.

Briefly about the composition

The last thing worth mentioning today is, of course, art. Do you want to know how to learn to play chess and become an artist at the same time? Unrelated areas?
Not at all! This is where the discipline of composition comes to the rescue.

It was created as an aid to learning. Excerpts of games were analyzed and the decisions of the masters were analyzed. Subsequently, it grew into an independent industry. Today this is a type of activity designed to develop observation, combinatorics and logical thinking.

Do you love puzzles, but only develop with the help of Sudoku? You are not familiar with chess composition! Solve a couple of sketches and let's see if this becomes your favorite way to escape from the routine...

Good luck, dear readers!

Chessboard and pieces

Board. A chess game is played on a board consisting of 64 squares, alternating light (white squares) and dark (black squares). Rows of fields are called lines, which can be verticals, horizontals and diagonals.
Each horizontal line is numbered from 1 to 8. Each vertical line is numbered in Latin letters from "A" to "H". Each field of the board has its own coordinates, which are formed by writing the name of the vertical and the number of the horizontal. For example: h2
d7
During the game, the board is positioned so that each partner has a white corner field on the right. If this requirement is violated, the resulting position is considered impossible. The game should be interrupted. The position of the board is corrected. Then the created position is transferred to it. After this, the game continues.

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Figures. There are kings, heavy (queens, rooks), light (knights, bishops) pieces and pawns. Sometimes pawns are not considered pieces.

The initial position of the figures is shown in the diagram. If they are located differently, the position is considered impossible.

Move concept
The partner who has the white pieces (the right to speak) starts. Then, until the game ends, moves are made alternately. The color of the partners' pieces in amateur games is determined by lot, and in competitions - by the rules. If a game is mistakenly started by a participant playing with black pieces, it is canceled and played again. When counting moves made, White's move followed by Black's response is counted as one.
The player is the partner whose turn it is to move.
Determination of the move. A move is the movement of a piece from one square to another, either free or occupied by an enemy piece. When castling, the position of the king and rook changes. Apart from the knight and rook, when it moves over the king during castling, pieces cannot cross occupied squares.
A move to a square occupied by an opponent's piece means capturing it, and it must be immediately removed from the board (see below about capturing “on the pass”).
Moves of the pieces. The king moves to any adjacent square that is not under attack.
Castling is a two-pronged move involving the movement of the king and the rook: first, the king moves two squares towards the rook, which is then transferred across it to the square adjacent to it. If the player touches the rook and then the king, then castling is impossible. The move must be made in accordance with the “Touching a Piece” rule.
If the player touches first the king and then the rook (or both pieces at the same time), but castling is impossible, then a move with the king or castling must be made in the opposite side. It may turn out that these requirements are impossible to meet. Then touching the figure does not entail any consequences. The player has the right to continue the game with any move. Castling is completely impossible: 1) if the king has already moved 2) with a rook that has previously moved.
When castling, the king cannot cross a square attacked by enemy pieces.
If the king of one of the sides was attacked on the previous move (check was declared), then on the current move the player is obliged to eliminate the king’s attack: escape with the king from under attack, cover the king from the attacking piece, or cut down the attacking piece.
The queen moves to any square vertically, horizontally and diagonally on which it is located.

The rook moves to any square vertically and horizontally on which it is located.

The bishop moves to any square along the diagonals on which it is located.



The horse moves in a kind of zigzag - through an adjacent field (even an occupied one) vertically or horizontally, then moving away from its original position to one of the adjacent fields diagonally.


The pawn can only move forward. In the general case - vertically to the adjacent free field, and from the initial position - and through one. Capturing with a pawn is possible only diagonally on an adjacent square and, again, moving forward.


A pawn attacking a square that is crossed by a move of two squares by an opponent's pawn can take the latter as if it had come under its attack. Such a capture “on the pass” is permissible only on the first counter move.


White moves the pawn b2-b4, and immediately in response to this, Black can capture en passant by moving his pawn from c4 to b3 and removing White’s pawn from the b4 square.

Upon reaching the last (eighth for white and first for black) rank, the pawn is immediately replaced (as part of the same square) by a queen, rook, bishop or knight of its color. The choice of a new piece does not depend on those remaining on the board. She can be, for example, the second queen, the third knight, etc. Such a replacement is called pawn promotion. The action of a piece that appears on the board begins immediately.
End of turn. A move is considered made when: the player, having moved a piece to a free field, took his hand away from it; the opponent's piece was removed from the board when captured, in the place of which the player put his own, interrupting the contact of his hand with it; when castling, the player took his hand away from the rook placed on the square crossed by the king; the pawn moved to the last rank is replaced by a new piece, from which the player has removed (broken contact) his hand. If the hand is released from the pawn placed on the promotion square, the move is not completed, but moving the pawn is different, i.e. It is impossible to change the place of its transformation.
When it is determined whether a set number of moves have been made in a given time, the last (control) is not considered completed until the player switches the clock. This rule does not apply to certain situations noted in the Code article “Finished Batch.”
If a checkmate or stalemate position has arisen on the board, and the player, having moved a piece, did not have time to switch the clock before the flag fell, the game is considered to have ended in checkmate or stalemate, respectively, regardless of the clock reading.
Touching the figure. Having warned in advance about his intention (by saying “I’m correcting”), the player can correct the placement of the pieces on the fields. Otherwise, when intentionally touching: one or more pieces of the same color, he must go first touched, and if it is an opponent’s piece, then take it; one of your own pieces and one of your partner’s pieces, the latter must be captured, and if this is not possible, a move is made with the touched piece or the enemy’s piece, which the player touched, is captured. If it is impossible to establish which figure was touched first, we must assume that it is its own figure.
When touching pieces that have no possible moves and cannot be captured, the player has the right to make any move. A statement about a partner’s violation of the Code article “Touching a figure” must be made without touching the figures.

The task of the game. Mat.
The goal of the game of chess is to checkmate the opponent's king.
Mat- an irresistible attack on the king. When checkmate, he cannot evade or be covered from a blow, and defense by capturing an attacking piece is also excluded.

Impossible positions
The occurrence of impossible positions is caused by a violation of the rules of the game. The Code addresses a number of such cases. In other cases, it is recommended to make decisions by analogy.
General principle: correction of impossible positions is made only if irregularities are discovered before the end of the game (including when the result is determined by an award). Depending on the nature of the violations, the game may be continued or canceled and replayed.

Situation Solution
An impossible move was made The position in which the error was made is restored. The game continues with the “Touching a Piece” rule applied. If the error cannot be identified, the game is played again.
Pieces are moved out of place and then placed incorrectly If the position cannot be restored, the game is played again.
While making a move, the player unintentionally knocks over one or more pieces The player must restore the position of the pieces without switching the clock, otherwise the judge may change the clock readings.
The pieces were placed incorrectly in the initial position If an error is discovered before the end of the game, the rest of the game starts again.
The game started with the wrong color of pieces If a quarter of the time has elapsed before the general control, then the game continues. If the error is discovered earlier, the judge may order a replay of the game (in this case, the competition schedule should not be significantly disrupted).
Incorrect position of the chessboard The resulting position is transferred to the correctly positioned board, after which the game continues
The move with the promotion of a pawn was executed incorrectly The move is cancelled. The error should be resolved by applying the "Touching the figure" rule
Castling performed incorrectly Same
The “Touching a Piece” rule was violated: one is touched, and the move is made by another The referee may consider the move impossible and impose sanctions if he witnessed the violation.
A move was made after a checkmate or stalemate position appeared on the board, but the flag fell on the opponent’s clock The move is considered impossible. The game ends immediately as soon as the position of checkmate or stalemate occurs. Dropping the flag doesn't matter.
A move is made after a time delay The referee stops the clock and, if necessary, checks the number of moves actually made. The partner who is overdue is considered a loser.

Win and draw. Finished batch.

Situation Solution
Checkmate given The game is won by a partner who checkmates the opponent's king
One of the opponents gave up An opponent who surrenders is considered defeated
The player stopped the clock Stopping the clock is equivalent to surrendering the game. If this happened due to a misunderstanding, the judge may limit himself to a remark or leave the incident without consequences.
The player has no moves and his king is not in check There's a stalemate on the board. The game is considered to end in a draw.
The partners agreed to a draw Draw. A draw proposal can only be made by the player in the interval between making a move and starting the clock.
A draw is offered to the player The player's opponent committed a violation, for which the referee must give him a warning. But a draw is considered offered. The partner can accept or reject it
The player proposed a draw without making a move The partner can accept or reject the offer or defer the decision until the move is made
At least 50 last moves were without capturing a piece and without moving a pawn At the request of the player, the game is considered a draw. This rule increases to 75 moves in positions with the following balance of forces:
1. King, rook and bishop versus king and rook
2. King and two knights versus king and pawn
3. King, queen and pawn in front of the promotion square against the king and queen
4. King and queen versus king and two knights
5. King and two bishops versus king and bishop
Any partner was late for the start of the game by more than 1 hour The game is considered lost to those who are late
A position has arisen where the possibility of winning due to the nature of the remaining material is excluded for both sides (King against King, etc.) A draw is recorded
The partner ran out of time when the opponent had only one king left A draw is recorded. A partner who has one king cannot win the game.
The same position appeared on the board for the third time If the player demands, a draw must be recorded.
The player makes a move without requiring a draw due to the position being repeated three times The party continues. The player receives the right to demand that a draw be recorded in connection with a three-time repetition of a position if the same position on the board occurs again.

In all cases, a draw offer can be rejected verbally or by making a counter move. Until the partner's decision, the one who proposed the draw cannot refuse it.
When a player requests a draw due to a position being repeated three times or based on the 50 or 75 move rule, the referee stops the clock to check the validity of the claim (if the referee is not present, the player has the right to stop the clock and appeal to him). If the demand turns out to be fair, the game ends in a draw. If it turns out that the request is erroneous, then 5 minutes are added to the applicant's watch. In this case, the time limit may be overspent. If this does not happen, then the game continues. Moreover, exactly the move with which the player associated the requirement for a draw must be made.
The validity of the draw requirement when the position is repeated three times and according to the 50 or 75 move rule is checked on another board.
If the judge mistakenly recognizes the validity of the claim, and the applicant's partner does not point out the error during the review, no one's result is changed.
If the claim for a draw is rejected, the claimant may request additional verification at the expense of his time or, after stopping the game, appeal to a higher authority. In the latter case, if the claim is confirmed to be erroneous, he is credited with a loss.
For winning a game, a participant in the competition receives 1 (one point), in case of a loss - 0 (zero), and in case of a draw, each partner is awarded 1/2 (half a point).

Chess clock.
Each partner must make the appropriate number of moves at a given time. The conditions are determined in advance and included in the regulations. For control, a watch with a special device – a flag – is used.
The game begins with the start of the clock of the participant playing with white pieces.
The time remaining after completing the required number of moves accumulates. If, for example, 15 minutes are saved, and an hour is allotted for the next part of the game, then the chess player has one hour and a quarter before the second control.
There are also competitions where a time limit for thinking is set for all moves at once. In this case, the game ends when one of the flags falls.
The watch's readings, in the absence of obvious defects, are undeniable. There may be situations that require a judge's decision. It happens, say, that the flag remains in a hovering position, although the minute hand has passed the corresponding mark on the dial. Has the control time really expired? The judge has the final say here. Taking into account the actual reading of the clock, he may consider the flag to have fallen.
In the absence of a judge, a statement about the expiration of the opponent's control time must be made by the partner.
A watch defect should be reported as soon as it is discovered. The participant's reference to their malfunction later than immediately after the control flag drop may be rejected.
Defective watches must be replaced. The time used by the partners is precisely set on the new ones. If the judge decides to change it to one or both partners, then they must have at least 5 minutes left or 1 minute for each move.
Having evidence that only one partner’s watch incorrectly reflects the time spent, the judge corrects only their reading. If there are no such reasons, the time is adjusted equally on both watches.
The clock is stopped by the referee when the game is interrupted for reasons beyond the control of the partners - to correct impossible positions, when replacing a defective clock, etc., as well as when the player demands to fix a draw due to a three-time repetition of a position or according to the 50 (75) move rule . In these cases, if there is no judge nearby, the participant can stop the clock himself to appeal to him.
If the game continues after an impossible move or errors in the placement of shifted pieces and it is impossible to determine the time used by each partner, it is awarded to them in proportion to the time spent by the time the error occurred.
Example. After Black's 30th move, when the clock showed 90 minutes for White and 60 minutes for Black, it was discovered that there was an error on the 20th move. The time used for the first 20 moves is set as follows: white: 90:30x20 = 60 minutes, black: 60:30x20 = 40 minutes. In this case, partners must have at least 5 minutes left before control, or 1 minute for each move.
The surrender of the game or agreement to a draw remains valid if it is later discovered that the flag has fallen.
If both flags fall and it is impossible to determine which one comes first, the game continues. From the next move, a new countdown begins until the next control.
The judge should not draw the attention of his partners to the fact that the opponent made a move, forgot to change the clock, warn how many moves need to be made before the control time expires, etc.

Part recording
When conducting a game, partners are required to keep a record of the game. The recording must be kept legibly and step by step. The recording of a game can be interrupted by a partner who has less than 5 minutes left before the time control expires. After the flag falls, the missing moves must be added immediately.
There is an international and national party recording system. Which, in turn, are divided into full notation and short notation.

In the international system, in full notation, a move is written as follows: The number of the move is indicated, the piece by which the move is made, the square from which the piece moves, and the square to which the piece moves are indicated.
The figures are represented by the following letters:
K is king
Q – Queen
R – Rook
N - horse
B - elephant
The pawn is not designated as anything.

For example entry
22.Qh2-h8
It means the Queen's move from square h2 to square h8.

If it is necessary to indicate a black move, either the previously made white move or an ellipsis is indicated before the move.
For example:
23. … Rd2-d6
This is the black rook's move from square d2 to square d6.
1. e2-e4 e7-e5
White's first move is from square e2 to square e4, in response to this Black moves a pawn from square e7 to square e5.

If a piece is captured, an “x” sign is placed between the field from which the piece moves and the field where it moves.
For example
2. e4xd5
Pawn e4 cuts to d5.
If the opponent’s king is checkmated by the current move, then a “#” sign is placed after the move. If there is a check, then the “+” sign is indicated.
Short castling is designated as “O-O”, long castling – “O-O-O”.
If a pawn makes a move to the last rank (white to the eighth, black to the first), then after the move the piece into which it has become is indicated.
For example
8. e7-e8Q
The pawn made a move to square e8 and became a queen.
16. O-O-O g2xh1Q
This notation means: On the sixteenth move, White made a long castling, Black, with a pawn standing on g2, cut down the piece standing on h1 and the pawn turned into a Queen.
When writing in short notation, the field from which the move was made is not indicated.
For example,
1. e4 e5
This notation means that White moved his pawn to e4, and in response Black moved his pawn to e5.
However, when a record in short notation can be interpreted ambiguously, either the move is indicated in full notation or the part of the field from which the move was made is additionally indicated, which allows the move to be identified.
For example, on the first rank there are only two white rooks on squares a1 and h1.
Let's say you need to indicate the move of the rook from square h1 to square d1. But with this arrangement of pieces on square d1, both rooks and the entry can go
12. Rd1
It won't be correct. It is necessary to indicate the part of the square from which the rook comes, in this case:
12 Rhd1
There may be different situations that lead to different entries. For example:
34. N4e5 Rff5
If during a move the opponent’s piece is captured, then the “x” sign is indicated after writing the piece’s symbol. If a pawn captures, then only the vertical from which the pawn moved and the vertical on which the pawn captured the piece are indicated.
For example:
13. de
The pawn standing on the d-file cut down the piece standing on the e-file. In this case, identification must be unambiguous. If, for example, there are two white pawns on the d-file and both can capture on the e-file, then it is necessary to accurately indicate the capture square.
Castling when written in short notation is indicated in the same way as in full notation.

The Russian notation system differs from the international one in the designation of figures:
Kr - king
F – queen
L – rook
C – elephant
K - horse
The pawn is also not marked.
The sign for capturing a piece is “:”
Shah – “+”
Checkmate - "x"

Behavior of partners
It is prohibited during the game:
Use records or printed materials, ask someone for advice; this requirement also means a ban on any conversations with anyone other than the judge or in his presence;
Take notes for memory, in addition to recording moves and clock readings;
Analyze in the tournament room (in particular, your game on another board);
Distract or disturb a partner in any way (this also applies to cases where the partner who proposed a draw repeats the proposal without sufficient reason before the opponent, in turn, exercises this right).
Violation of the rules of conduct may entail sanctions, including loss of the game.
Compliance with the norms of sports ethics is a condition for a normal competition environment. It is the tradition of chess players to shake hands before starting a game and congratulate their partner on their success. Being late for a game without good reason, “advising” the opponent to agree to a draw, demonstrating dissatisfaction with an unsuccessful game, etc. should be considered a sign of bad manners.
Partners' opinions about each other, as well as their relationships, can be different. But during competition there must be mutual respect.

Chess is sport game, recognized in 100 countries. The IOC recognized them in 1999 sporting event, and in 2018 made its debut at the winter Olympic Games. Chess is characterized not only by excitement, but also by powerful physical training and the remarkable intelligence of opponents.

Why study chess games? This helps train mental abilities and mental skills, such as:

  • Concentration of attention.
  • Solving complex problems.
  • Critical thinking.
  • Pattern recognition.
  • Strategic and tactical planning.
  • Spatial imagination.
  • Logic and analysis.

The game teaches that there is a consequence after every action. That decisions made based on prediction and reasoning have better results than impulsiveness and thoughtlessness.

Besides learning competitive skills (in chess you learn how to attack and defend at the same time), there are parallels between mathematics, music and chess.

Self-study of chess from scratch

To learn how to play at home on your own, it’s a good idea to start by breaking down the rules into their component parts. When learning moves, it is easier to use only one piece on the board.

The best way learn the game - play. Defeats are invaluable lessons and experiences. You will soon learn that each piece has a certain value.

From personal experience For many players, chess can be easily learned through online applications. There are also a number of online learning resources available. It all depends on which method is preferable: learning on the go or starting from the basics.

Now let's look at online learning options:

  • Chess-online (Chess.com). The best free chess app for all types of devices and website to start learning chess, play online with opponents of your level. Excellent analysis of your games using the machine analysis function. This resource provides absolutely everything, from training from scratch to daily training for masters. Their video lessons on opening theory, tactics average game, checkmate strategies, pawn structures, attacking initiative, etc. Provide insight into how to maximize your game. The site will help anyone who is trying to learn the basics and also wants to improve their abilities.
  • Youtube channels. It is enough to type in the Youtube search the necessary query for learning from scratch, and the system will offer a huge variety of channels and video clips. Choose the most interesting material and watch with pleasure.
  • Special literature. Buy a book that outlines the rules and fundamentals of chess. I won't recommend any as there are so many and most of them are great. Look for one with a lot of pictures and little text. Most educational books “for children” also work for adults.

Description of the figures, how they walk


  1. King– the most important of all the figures is the one with the crown and cross.
  2. U queen there is also a crown - this is the second tall figure.
  3. Elephant- a figure with a pointed hat.
  4. LaDue also easy to remember, it looks like a castle tower.
  5. Horse very easy to remember.
  6. Pawns– it won’t be difficult to remember them, they are the “smallest” and most numerous.

Here are a few rules that are useful to master from the very beginning:

  • The king must always be protected; he moves one square in any direction.
  • The queen is the most “universal soldier”, moving across the board in all directions.
  • Elephants have a large range of movement, but only strictly in a straight line, in perpendicular directions.
  • Rook is often underestimated by new players. She moves “crosswise” across the board - diagonally, like the “king” in checkers.
  • The horse is good for thoughtful, unexpected attacks, its movement is known to everyone - the Russian letter “G” in all directions.
  • Pawns are good at capturing enemy pieces. They are limited in their movements - only one cell forward.

Video lesson

Various playing techniques


Basic playing technique:

  • You choose the color of the pieces (white or black, or other contrasting colors), the opponent takes the opposite color.
  • You take turns making moves. White pieces go first.
  • Goal: The first player to capture the opponent's king wins the game.

Install the board correctly. The game is played on a chessboard consisting of 64 squares - eight rows and eight columns.

The strategy for a beginner is to capture as many important enemy pieces as possible so that it is easier to get to the king. This is done by moving the pieces around the squares where half of the opponent is located. A piece is captured by removing it from the field.

You've probably heard the word "Shah" right? This means that you (or your opponent) have put your king (or your opponent) in a position where it cannot move anywhere without being captured.

Now let's talk about pawns. There are some exceptions to the one move rule: if a pawn has never moved before, it can move two squares the first time it moves. In addition, a pawn cannot capture an opponent who is in front of it. But if there is an enemy piece diagonally in front of her, she can go there to capture it. Another advantage of the pawn: if it reaches the other side of the board, where it cannot move forward, it can be exchanged for any other piece (except the king).

There is another special movement called castling. It concerns the position of the king and rook. This may be confusing to a beginner at first, so you can learn it later once you have mastered the basic rules.

Now use your pieces! In particular, do not allow knights and bishops to linger in their positions, as they are useful early in the game.

Bring your king to a safe area. The king in the center of the board is a vulnerable king.

Manage the center! -- This is an important concept for new students. The 4 central squares are important for control.

Keep in mind that only the horse can jump over the squares. Remember that all pieces can move backwards, with the exception of pawns.

The whole strategy of the game is to force the opponent's king into a trap. It doesn't matter how you do it - you just have to do it once to win!

You can't focus all your attention on the attack, otherwise you might be lulled into a false sense of security and leave room for your opponent to exploit it. There are many ways to strengthen the defense - placing your pieces in active positions (bishops and rooks are especially good). Defend your half carefully and, above all, keep your pieces coordinated. The last thing you want is to lose your queen because you failed to defend it or played hastily.

Poor batch opening usually leads to negative results. Work on moving your center to give way to the bishops and engage the knights. Worry about the queen and rooks later. There is no one universal first move, although some are worth considering over others. There are players who prefer defensive, passive positions, or aggressive, dynamic strategies. In the early stages, focus on defensive, passive play.

Analyze positions for tactics. Grandmasters usually benefit from tactics. Your goal is to outsmart your opponent and find ways to make the most of your pieces. Learn the basics of forks, pins, skewers and other tactical concepts. The Tactical Coach feature on Chess.com is invaluable. Chess relies heavily on finding similar patterns in different positions. Using these ideas will greatly increase your power.

How long will it take to study

To speed up your learning, try the following:

  1. Play chess at least 1 hour daily.
  2. As you gain more experience, add 30 minutes of tactical puzzles and 30 minutes of live chess a day.

The study itself will take about 1 month, if you pay attention to the game for 30-60 minutes daily. Further progress will not be long in coming, as the game will completely captivate you!

How to teach a child to play chess

In many ways, teaching children is an easier task than teaching adults. In the century accessible internet, children can easily learn to play chess on their own. The tactics above are designed for players of all ages.

Video story

Training in sections

In various circles and sections they teach how to play chess “officially,” that is, with everyone’s explanation chess terms and names of strategies. They provide and show all possible techniques and moves. Self-taught players, as a rule, play intuitively, building their own logical chains. They are not strong in terms, but at the same time they play very high level.

Famous chess players of the world and Russia


  • Sisters Polgar, Judit and Susan are Hungarian masters. The youngest of the sisters, Judit (41 years old), is this moment, is the strongest chess player on the planet. Her advantage is that she participates and wins only in men's championships. Judit received the title of male grandmaster at the age of 15, surpassing the achievements of many venerable champions. Her older sister Susan is now developing chess in the USA, she is also an international master.
  • Antoaneta Stefanova is a Bulgarian world and European champion in chess and rapid chess, 38 years old. In 2002 she became an international grandmaster.
  • Xie Jun is a Chinese chess player, honored coach and world champion (47 years old). She became a champion at the age of 10 and started playing at the age of 6.
  • Alexandra Kosteniuk is the champion of Europe and Russia. Her motto: “Chess is great” and “Beauty and intelligence are inseparable.” Guided by him, she promotes chess, being a model and “chess ambassador”, trying to spark interest in this game throughout the world.
  • Anatoly Karpov (66 years old) and Garry Kasparov (54 years old) are the most famous grandmasters in Russia. Currently, they are actively involved in political activities. In the past - multiple champions of the world, Europe and Russia.
  • Khalifman Alexander (52 years old) is a three-time winner of the World Chess Olympiad. Now he trains the younger generation and is the author of books on chess strategy.
  • Magnus Carlsen (27 years old) is the current absolute world champion from Norway, one of the youngest grandmasters on the planet.
  • Anand Viswanathan (47 years old) is the current Indian strongest world champion in rapid chess. Anand plays very quickly, spending minimal time thinking about moves, even when competing with the strongest chess players in the world.

How to become a chess professional


Have you already learned all the rules of chess and are on the path to improvement? Here's what you need to do next:

  • Learn algebraic notation. This system is used by chess players to record games or the positions of pieces on the board in order to read and recreate any game later.
  • Study the value of the pieces. Not all chessmen equally strong in the party. Learn to determine their value and importance in a particular game, then you will understand whether it is worth sacrificing.
  • Watch and analyze the games of grandmasters, past and present. Watch a professional game between masters.
  • Start by studying the games of antiquity from the 1600s to the early 1900s, they are easier to understand. Some examples of masters of that era: Adolf Andersen, Paul Morphy, Wilhelm Steinitz, Johannes Zuckerert, Emanuel Lasker, Jose Raul Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine.
  • Solve puzzles that will help you recognize and identify tactical opportunities and your weaknesses.
  • Learn to use chess engine And artificial intelligence for analysis. Today, the most useful tool for gamers is computers. For Windows and Linux, a popular GUI is Arena. With its help, you can watch games in PGN format, which can be downloaded from various sites. Record your games for later analysis. Do the same when watching a live game and understand the positions yourself.
  • Follow the professional chess world. Know the current champions and world champions, seasoned and young players. Follow world tournaments.

Video tips

Join your local chess Club. Playing head to head and being part of the chess community is the way to become a professional. Fight against opponents of your level and those who are stronger. Analyze each game, remember the key moves in winning and losing games.

And a few more tips:

  • Solve more chess puzzles.
  • Use your horses effectively and often.
  • Read books on chess, biographies of famous masters.
  • Learn from failures.
  • Analyze the moves.
  • Think about your opponent's play.

From now on, start playing: losing and repeating again and again. Always challenge yourself. The training may take a couple of years, but the satisfaction you will receive will be worth the effort.

Never lose hope and don't give up if you lose! Failure is a stepping stone on the path to success!



Backgammon