The game is played on a square board called a chessboard, which consists of 64 black and white squares set alternatively, with 32 pieces (chessmen), half of which is light and the other half dark (called black and white no matter what color they are).
The situation of each square is defined by specific coordinates consisting of letters and numbers. The letters and numbers are placed around chessboard.
Each player has 16 pieces (chessmen) to play.
The pieces are:
The King – the most important game piece in the game. A mate for the King is the only way to win the game. The King can move one square only in any direction;
The Queen – the strongest piece in the game. It can move any number of squares in any direction;
Two Bishops – the Bishop moves any number of squares diagonally which means that one of the bishops can move on white squares only, the other one – on black squares only;
Two Knights – the Knight’s move is L-shaped: three squares forwards and one to the side (left or right). The Knight is allowed to jump over other pieces while moving but it has to move to a vacant square or a square which is occupied by the opponent;
Two Rooks – they can move any number of squares diagonally and vertically;
Eight Pawns – a pawn moves one square forward only (except the first move in which it is allowed to move two squares forward). It is the only piece whose moves are different from capturing; it captures diagonally.
Special moves:
Castling – a special move of the Rook and the King at the same time. Firstly, the King moves two squares left or right towards the Rook but only when the King or the Rook have not moved so far. Then the Rook jumps over the King. The right Rook is located on the left of the King; the left one – on the right of the King. A player performs a simplified move; it is enough to move the King and the Rook will be moved automatically;
Promotion – when a Pawn reaches the end of the chessboard, it is promoted. The player is allowed to change it into any piece except the King (it is usually the Queen, which is the strongest piece);
"EN PASSANT" capturing – a Pawn is allowed to capture another pawn "en passant". It is performed in the following way:
The opponent’s Pawn moves two squares forward landing next to the player’s pawn.
The player’s pawn moves one square diagonally landing behind the opponent’s pawn. The opponent’s pawn is regarded to be captured.
The players move the pieces alternatively, one piece in each turn (castling is the exception). The player who plays white pieces performs the first move.
During the turn, a player has to make a move.
A piece is moved by clicking the piece with the mouse (when the help option is switched on, having clicked the piece with the right mouse button, all the facilities are highlighted), and then clicking the square the player wants the figure to land. If the move is impossible or incorrect, the piece remains on the spot.
A player’s piece can land on the square occupied by the piece which belongs to the opponent. The piece is captured then and does not participate in the game.
The only piece which cannot be captured in the game is the King; it can only get a mate.
A mate is the situation when the King is threatened with capturing at all the squares to be moved to as well as the square it is occupying; with no possibility to capture the piece the attacking piece or to prevent from the attack.
The mate for the opponent’s King is the only way to win the game (unless the opponent resigns from the game before).
GAME OVER
The game is over when one of the players wins or there is a draw.
The game is won by one of the players if:
The opponent’s King has got a mate;
The opponent has resigned;
The opponent has exceeded the time allowed for the specified number of moves (when the Game Time option is set).
There is a draw if:
There is a stalemate – The specific situation when he King is not under check but any move (not necessarily with the King) that is made puts the player’s King capturing;
Both players agree to a draw. In the game a player clicks Draw in the menu and receives the opponent’s agreement;
There is a triple movement repetition. When the same situation happens on the chessboard three times the game is finished with a draw automatically;
If there is neither capturing nor a pawn movement within 50 moves;
Both players do not have enough pieces to mate the opponent’s King. To mate the King it is enough to have at least:
