Setting up the pieces is lesson 3 of 3 in The chessboard, a basics course suited to players rated around 100 (complete beginners). Each side has 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops, a queen and a king. It has 5 interactive exercises: 5 board-square exercises. You play every move on a board and get feedback straight away. The lesson is free.
What this lesson explains
This is the starting position. White's pieces are on ranks 1 and 2, Black's on ranks 7 and 8. The pawns stand in a row in front of the other pieces. White always moves first.
The queen goes on her own colour: the white queen on the light square d1, the black queen on the dark square d8. The kings stand next to their queens, on e1 and e8.
What you practise
The rooks look like castle towers and stand in the corners. Tap White's two rooks.
The knights look like horses and stand next to the rooks. Tap White's two knights.
The bishops stand next to the knights. Tap White's two bishops.
Tap the white queen.
Tap the black king.
Worked examples
Tap the black king. You know the board. Next: how each piece moves!
chessGM