17
Rules of Chess
I. General
Moves
1. The two players must alternate in making one move at a time. The player with the white pieces
moves first to start the game.
2. With the exception of castling (section II.1.), a move is the transfer of a piece from one square
to another square which is either vacant or occupied by an enemy piece.
3. No piece, except the Rook when castling and the Knight (section II.5) may cross a square
occupied by another piece.
4. A piece moved to a square occupied by an enemy piece captures it as part of the same move.
The captured piece must be immediately removed from the chessboard by the player making
the capture.
5. When one player moves a piece into a position whereby he can attack the King, the King is in
"Check" (announced by the CHECK LED) and must either
a) move the King,
b) block the path of the attacking piece with another piece,
c) or attack the attacking piece.
6. The game is over when there is no escape for the King from an attacking piece. This is known
as "Checkmate" (the CHECK and MATE LED).
II. Individual
Moves
1. KING
Except when castling, the King can move only one space to any adjoining square (including
diagonally) which cannot be attacked by an enemy piece.
Castling is a move of both the King and either Rook which counts as a single move (of the King)
and is executed as follows:
a) The King is moved from its original square two squares toward either
Rook on the
same rank, and
b) The Rook is moved to the opposite side of the King.
Castling cannot occur if:
a) the King has already been moved.
b) the Rook has already been moved.
c) the King's original square or the square which the King must cross or the one which it is to
occupy is attacked by an enemy piece.
d) there is any piece between the King and the Rook.
2. QUEEN
The Queen can move to any square along the same rank, file or diagonal on which it stands (except
as limited by Article I.3).
