How to Set Up a Chess Board (With Diagrams)
Place the board so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner. Fill the second row with pawns. On the back row put the rooks in the corners, then knights, then bishops, and the queen on the square of her own colour (white queen on light, black queen on dark), with the king on the last square. White always moves first.
Step 1: Turn the board the right way
A chess board has 8 rows and 8 columns of alternating light and dark squares. Before any pieces go on, turn it so that each player has a light square in the corner on their right. The usual memory aid is "light on the right".
This is the most common setup mistake, and it matters: with the board rotated, the kings and queens end up on the wrong squares and every opening you learn will look wrong.
Step 2: Line up the pawns
Each player has eight pawns. Put them on the row closest to you but one: the second row for White and the seventh row for Black (counted from White's side). The pawns form a wall in front of the bigger pieces.
Step 3: Set up the back row
The back row is the same for both players, working in from each corner:
- Rooks (castles) go in the two corners.
- Knights (horses) go next to the rooks.
- Bishops go next to the knights. You'll have one on a light square and one on a dark square.
- The queen goes on one of the two middle squares: the one that matches her colour. The white queen starts on a light square, the black queen on a dark square. Remember "queen on her colour".
- The king takes the last empty square, next to the queen.
Done right, the two kings face each other along the same column, and so do the two queens.
Where every piece starts (cheat sheet)
Chess players name squares with a letter for the column (a to h, from White's left) and a number for the row (1 to 8, from White's side). With that system, the setup is:
| Piece | Each side | White starts on | Black starts on |
|---|---|---|---|
| King | 1 | e1 | e8 |
| Queen | 1 | d1 | d8 |
| Rooks | 2 | a1, h1 | a8, h8 |
| Bishops | 2 | c1, f1 | c8, f8 |
| Knights | 2 | b1, g1 | b8, g8 |
| Pawns | 8 | a2 to h2 | a7 to h7 |
Who goes first in chess?
White always moves first. After that the players take turns, one move each. In a friendly game you can toss a coin or hide a pawn in each hand to decide who plays White, then swap colours for the next game. In tournaments the organisers decide, and they try to give everyone a fair share of games with White.
Moving first is a small advantage, which is why players alternate colours over a series of games.
How many squares and pieces are there?
- 64 squares: 8 rows of 8, with 32 light and 32 dark.
- 32 pieces: 16 for each player, made up of 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights and 8 pawns.
- 204 squares is the answer to the puzzle version of the question. If you count every square of every size you can find on the board (64 of size 1×1, 49 of 2×2, and so on down to the single 8×8), you get 64 + 49 + 36 + 25 + 16 + 9 + 4 + 1 = 204.
Quick setup checklist
- Light square in your right-hand corner.
- Pawns on the second row.
- Rook, knight, bishop from each corner inwards.
- Queen on her own colour, king beside her.
- Kings facing kings, queens facing queens.
- White to move.
Once the pieces are in place, the next step is learning how each chess piece moves. If you just want to play, GameLake sets the board up for you, so you can start a game against Hop the frog at Easy, Medium or Hard, or play a friend on the same screen.
Frequently asked questions
Which way does a chess board go?
Turn it so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner. "Light on the right" is the rule.
Does the queen go on the left or right of the king?
It depends on your colour. The queen always starts on the square of her own colour: White's queen on the light square d1, to the king's left from White's view; Black's queen on the dark square d8, to the king's right from Black's view.
Who goes first in chess, black or white?
White always moves first. Players usually swap colours after each game.
How many squares are on a chess board?
64 squares, 32 light and 32 dark. If you count squares of every size (2×2, 3×3 and so on), there are 204.
How many pieces are in chess?
32 in total, 16 per player: 8 pawns, 2 rooks, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 1 queen and 1 king.