Leigh-ann Garrote

STEM M
Chess uses six pieces, each of which moves in a specific way. All
Chess How it Moves Helpful Tips
pieces share some common traits. No piece is allowed to land
Piece
on a square occupied by a friendly piece.
King One space in any The King can never If a piece lands on a square occupied by an enemy piece, that
direction (forward, move himself into enemy is captured and removed from the board. With the
backward, sideways, check (where he can exception of the knight, pieces are not allowed to jump over
or diagonally) be captured). other pieces. Clicking on the name of each piece below will
open a more detailed guide on that piece's movements.
Queen As far as she can go The Queen may not The rook usually looks like a small tower. It moves in a straight
in any direction skip over or past her line horizontally or vertically for any number of squares.
(forward, backward, own piece. The bishop moves in a straight line diagonally for any number
sideways, or of squares.
diagonally) The queen, the most powerful piece in chess, can move any
number of squares in a straight line horizontally, vertically or
Rook As far as it can go The Rook cannot diagonally.
forward, backward, travel diagonally. The king can also move in any direction, including diagonally,
or sideways but it can only move one square at a time.
The knight, which usually looks like a horse, moves in an
Bishop As far as it can go The Bishop always irregular, L-shaped pattern. From the center of the board, the
diagonally stays on the same knight can move to eight different squares. Though the knight
color on which it can leap over other pieces, it doesn't capture pieces it jumps
started. over; it only captures a piece on a square it lands on.Pawns are
the shortest and weakest pieces in chess. Pawns are also the
Knight Two squares in one The Knight makes only pieces that move one way, but capture in another fashion.
direction (forward, the shape of an "L" Unlike other pieces, pawns can only move forward, not
backward, or when it moves. It backward. A pawn can only move directly forward one square
sideways) and one does not move at a time unless it is still on the square on which it began the
more square at a 90 diagonally. It can game; if it is the pawn's first move, it can move one or two
degree angle also jump over other squares directly forward. A pawn cannot capture a piece
pieces. directly in front of it. Pawns can only capture a piece by moving
one square forward diagonally.
Pawn Only moves forward On their very first
one space, but move, Pawns can Some exceptions to the rules include: castling, a move where
captures one space move two spaces. the king and a rook both move at the same time; en passant,
diagonally an unusual pawn capture; and pawn promotion, a situation
Special Rules that occurs if a pawn reaches the end of the board, where the
Promotion: pawn may "promote" to a stronger piece.
If a Pawn reaches the opposite side of the board, it can be
How to Play Chess: Rules and Basics
promoted to any piece (even one that has not yet been
captured).
En Passant: Step 1. How to Setup the Chessboard
If a Pawn's first move of two spaces lands it directly next to At the beginning of the game the chessboard is laid out so
an opponent's Pawn, the opponent has the option of that each player has the white (or light) color square in the
capturing the Pawn as it passes. If it chooses to capture, the bottom right-hand side. The chess pieces are then arranged
opposing Pawn advances diagonally as it would have if the the same way each time. The second row (or rank) is filled
first Pawn had initially moved only one space. If the opponent with pawns. The rooks go in the corners, then the knights
chooses not to capture on the turn immediately after the next to them, followed by the bishops, and finally the queen,
two-square jump, s/he cannot capture afterward, even if the who always goes on her own matching color (white queen on
pawn hasn't moved forward white, black queen on black), and the king on the remaining
Castling: square.
This can be done on the Rook's and the King's first move only.
If no other pieces are in between them or could potentially Step 2. How the Chess Pieces Move
move between them, the King is moved two spaces closer to Each of the 6 different kinds of pieces moves differently.
the Rook. The Rook is then placed on the opposite side of the Pieces cannot move through other pieces (though the knight
King. The King cannot be in check or pass through check when can jump over other pieces), and can never move onto a
performing this move. square with one of their own pieces. However, they can be
The Pieces moved to take the place of an opponent's piece which is then
captured. Pieces are generally moved into positions where
Leigh-ann Garrote
STEM M
they can capture other pieces (by landing on their square and
then replacing them), defend their own pieces in case of
capture, or control important squares in the game.
How to Move the King in Chess
The king is the most important piece, but is one of the
weakest. The king can only move one square in any direction
- up, down, to the sides, and diagonally. The king may never
move himself into check (where he could be captured). When
the king is attacked by another piece this is called "check".
How to Move the Queen in Chess
The queen is the most powerful piece. She can move in any
one straight direction - forward, backward, sideways, or
diagonally - as far as possible as long as she does not move
through any of her own pieces. And, like with all pieces, if the
queen captures an opponent's piece her move is over. Notice
how the white queen captures the black queen and then the
black king is forced to move.
How to Move the Rook in Chess
The rook may move as far as it wants, but only forward,
backward, and to the sides. The rooks are particularly
powerful pieces when they are protecting each other and
working together!
How to Move the Knight in Chess
Knights move in a very different way from the other pieces –
going two squares in one direction, and then one more move
at a 90 degree angle, just like the shape of an “L”. Knights are
also the only pieces that can move over other pieces.
How to Move the Pawn in Chess
Pawns are unusual because they move and capture in
different ways: they move forward, but capture diagonally.
Pawns can only move forward one square at a time, except
for their very first move where they can move forward two
squares. Pawns can only capture one square diagonally in
front of them. They can never move or capture backwards. If
there is another piece directly in front of a pawn he cannot
move past or capture that piece.
Step 3. Discover the Special Rules of Chess
There are a few special rules in chess that may not seem
logical at first. They were created to make the game more fun
and interesting.
How to Promote a Pawn in Chess
Pawns have another special ability and that is that if a pawn
reaches the other side of the board it can become any other
chess piece (called promotion). A pawn may be promoted to
any piece. A common misconception is that pawns may only
be exchanged for a piece that has been captured. That is NOT
true. A pawn is usually promoted to a queen. Only pawns
may be promoted.
How to do "en passant" in Chess
The last rule about pawns is called “en passant,” which is
French for “in passing”. If a pawn moves out two squares on
its first move, and by doing so lands to the side of an
opponent's pawn (effectively jumping past the other pawn's
ability to capture it), that other pawn has the option of
capturing the first pawn as it passes by. This special move
must be done immediately after the first pawn has moved
past, otherwise the option to capture it is no longer available.
Click through the example below to better understand this
odd, but important rule.
How to Castle in Chess
One other special chess rule is called castling. This move
allows you to do two important things all in one move: get
your king to safety (hopefully), and get your rook out of the
corner and into the game. On a player's turn he may move his
king two squares over to one side and then move the rook
from that side's corner to right next to the king on the
opposite side. (See the example below.) However, in order to
castle, the following conditions must be met:
 it must be that king's very first move
 it must be that rook's very first move
 there cannot be any pieces between the king and rook to
move
 the king may not be in check or pass through check
Notice that when you castle one direction the king is closer to
the side of the board. That is called castling "kingside".
Castling to the other side, through where the queen sat, is
called castling "queenside". Regardless of which side, the king
always moves only two squares when castling.
Step 4. Find out Who Makes the First Move in Chess
The player with the white pieces always moves first.
Therefore, players generally decide who will get to be white
by chance or luck such as flipping a coin or having one player
guess the color of the hidden pawn in the other player's
hand. White then makes a move, followed by black, then
white again, then black and so on until the end of the game.
Being able to move first is a tiny advantage which gives the
white player an opportunity to attack right away.
How to Checkmate in Chess
The purpose of the game is to checkmate the opponent's
king. This happens when the king is put into check and cannot
get out of check. There are only three ways a king can get out
of check: move out of the way (though he cannot castle!),
block the check with another piece, or capture the piece
threatening the king. If a king cannot escape checkmate then
the game is over. Customarily the king is not captured or
removed from the board, the game is simply declared over.
How to Draw a Chess Game
Occasionally chess games do not end with a winner, but with
a draw. There are 5 reasons why a chess game may end in a
draw:
 The position reaches a stalemate where it is one player's
turn to move, but his king is NOT in check and yet he does
not have another legal move
 The players may simply agree to a draw and stop playing
 There are not enough pieces on the board to force a
checkmate (example: a king and a bishop vs.a king)
 Leigh-ann Garrote
STEM M
 A player declares a draw if the same exact position is Can you move more than one piece at a time in chess?
repeated three times (though not necessarily three times in You can only move one chess piece at a time when it is your
a row) turn to move - with one exception! When you castle, you
 Fifty consecutive moves have been played where neither move both the king and the rook in one move.
player has moved a pawn or captured a piece
Which is the most important chess piece?
Don't Give Pieces Away The king is the most important chess piece. If you lose the
Don't carelessly lose your pieces! Each piece is valuable and king, you lose the game. But the queen is the most powerful
you can't win a game without pieces to checkmate. There is chess piece.
an easy system that most players use to keep track of the
relative value of each chess piece. How much are the chess When was chess invented?
pieces worth? The origins of chess are not exactly clear, though most
 A pawn is worth 1 believe it evolved from earlier chess-like games played in
India almost two thousand years ago. The game of chess we
 A knight is worth 3
know today has been around since the 15th century where it
 A bishop is worth 3
became popular in Europe.
 A rook is worth 5
 A queen is worth 9 What is the goal of chess?
 The king is infinitely valuable Chess is a game played between two opponents on opposite
sides of a board containing 64 squares of alternating colors.
How to Play with Chess Tournament Rules Each player has 16 pieces: 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops,
Many tournaments follow a set of common, similar rules. 2 knights, and 8 pawns. The goal of the game is to checkmate
These rules do not necessarily apply to play at home or the other king. Checkmate happens when the king is in a
online, but you may want to practice with them anyway. position to be captured (in check) and cannot escape from
 Touch-move - If a player touches one of their own pieces capture.
they must move that piece as long as it is a legal move. If a
player touches an opponent's piece, they must capture that
piece. A player who wishes to touch a piece only to adjust it
on the board must first announce the intention, usually by
saying “adjust”.
 Clocks and Timers - Most tournaments use timers to
regulate the time spent on each game, not on each move.
Each player gets the same amount of time to use for their
entire game and can decide how to spend that time. Once a
player makes a move they then touch a button or hit a lever
to start the opponent's clock. If a player runs out of time
and the opponent calls the time, then the player who ran
out of time loses the game (unless the opponent does not
have enough pieces to checkmate, in which case it is a
draw).

What is the best first move in chess?

While there is no one agreed-upon best move in chess, it's
important to try to control the center right away. This usually
results in most players playing one of their central pawns (in
front of king or queen) forward two squares with either 1. d4
or 1. e4. Some other players prefer 1. c4 or 1. Nf3. Most other
moves are not as good. Bobby Fischer believed that moving
the king-pawn 1. e4 was best.

Which color starts in chess?

The player with the white pieces always moves first.

Can a pawn move backwards?

Pawns cannot move backwards. However, when a pawn gets
to the other side of the board you must promote it to another
piece (such as a queen). Then it moves just like that piece,
and can move backwards.
Leigh-ann Garrote
STEM M
Leigh-ann Garrote
STEM M
Game of the Generals (AKA Salpakan) 3 Star General

Players 1 versus 1, plus an optional arbiter or referee

Setup time 2 to 3 minutes

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
Playing time 30 to 120 minutes (player-dependent)

Random Yes 2 Star General

chance

Skill(s) Strategy, tactics, memory, bluffing, inter-

required player communication

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

The Game of the Generals, also called GG as it is most fondly
called, or simply The Generals, is an educational war
game invented in the Philippines by Sofronio H. Pasola, Jr.
in 1970. Its Filipino name is "Salpakan." It can be played 1 Star General
within twenty to thirty minutes. It is designed for two players,
each controlling an army, and a neutral arbiter (sometimes
called a referee or an adjutant) to decide the results of
"challenges" between opposing playing pieces, that like
playing cards, have their identities hidden from the
opponent. Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
OBJECT OF THE GAME:
The objective of the game is to eliminate or capture the Flag
of your opponent. You may also win by successfully Colonel
maneuvering your own Flag to the opposite end of the board.
THE PIECES
The player's set of pieces or soldiers with the corresponding
ranks and functions consists of the following 21 pieces:
NOTE: If both soldiers are of equal ranks, BOTH are
eliminated.
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
5 Star General

Lieutenant Colonel

Eliminates any lower ranking officer, the private & the flag.

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

4 Star General

Major

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

Leigh-ann Garrote
STEM M
Captain

Flag

Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

The flag can be eliminated by any piece including the

opposing flag; a flag eliminates the opposing flag when it
1st Lieutenant
takes aggressive action by moving into the same
square occupied by the other flag,

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES:
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.
1. Colonel vs. Captain = Colonel wins, Captain is removed
from board.
2. Spy vs. Private = Private wins, Spy is removed from board.
2nd Lieutenant
3. 5 Star General vs. Spy = Spy wins, 5 Star General is
removed from board.

If a lower ranking officer (example: Captain) attacks a higher

ranking officer (example: Colonel), the lower ranking officer is
removed from the board.
Eliminates any lower ranking officer,the private & the flag.

PREPARING FOR BATTLE:

Sergeant Spread out the board as illustrated in Figure A. Arrange your
respective sets of pieces on the first three (3) rows on your
end of the board with the printed sides facing you. (See
Figure A). There is no predetermined place for any piece. You
are therefore free to arrange the pieces according to your
strategy of style of play. Note that as you arrange your pieces
on the first three (3) rows, you will find six (6) vacant squares.
Eliminates the private & the flag. This is to allow for maneuvering and freedom of movement
when play begins.

Spy

Eliminates all officers (from the rank of Sergeant up to the

five (5) Star General & the flag.) 2 pieces

Private MOVEMENT:
1. Any player makes the first move. Players move alternately.
2. A player is allowed to move only one piece at a time.
3. A move consists of pushing a piece to an adjacent square,
either forward, backward or sideward. A diagonal move or a
move of more than one square is illegal. (See Figure B)
Eliminates the spy & the flag. 6 pieces
Leigh-ann Garrote
STEM M

CHALLENGING:
1 As the game progresses, challenges are made resulting in
the elimination of soldiers. A "challenge" is made when a
soldier moves into the same square occupied by an opposing
soldier. When a challenge is made the following rules of
elimination apply:

a. A higher ranked soldier eliminates from the board a lower

ranked soldiers.
b. If both soldiers are of equal, both are eliminated.
c. A spy eliminates any officer starting with the rank of 5-star
General down to the Sergeant.
d. The Flag can be eliminated or captured by any piece
including the opponent's Flag.
e. Only a Private can eliminate the Spy.
f. The Flag that moves into the same square occupied by the
other Flag wins the game.

2. For maximum interest and suspense, a natural party

(arbiter) is present to preside over a challenge for both
players. As arbiter, he is not allowed to reveal to either player
the ranks of any piece whether engaged in challenges or not.
In case of a challenge, the arbiter quietly removes the
outranked piece and gives it back to the player who has lost
it. Care must be made that the eliminated piece is not shown
to the opponent. (Note: Official tournament games are
conducted with an arbiter.)

3. When playing without an arbiter, every time there is a

challenge both players must declare the ranks of the two
opposing pieces concerned, after which, the outranked player
removes his piece from the Board.
HOW THE GAME ENDS:
1. The game ends:
a. When the Flag is eliminated or captured.
b. When a Flag reaches the opposite end of the board.
c. When a player resigns.
d. When both players agree on a drawn position.

2. A Flag reaching the opposite end of the board may still be

eliminated by an opposing piece occupying a square adjacent
to the one reached by the Flag. In order to win, the Flag
should at least be two square or two ahead of any opposing
piece.