Questions
Questions and answers
This page gives short answers to the questions beginners ask most often: the rules of chess and go, learning on your own and fair play. If an answer is not enough, take a look at the glossary — the key terms are explained there in more detail.
A win with a program's help says nothing about your play. An honest loss says a great deal about it.
Chess
Which way round does the board go, and who moves first?
The board has 64 squares, 8 by 8, and is placed so that the corner square on each player's right is light. Each side has 16 pieces, and White moves first.
How is stalemate different from checkmate?
In checkmate the king is in check and cannot escape it — the game is lost. In stalemate there is no check, but the side to move has no legal move at all — the game ends in a draw.
What is castling for?
In a single move it takes the king to a safer place and brings a rook closer to the centre. Castling is not always allowed: the rules set several conditions, and it is worth learning them straight away.
My opponent made an illegal move. What should I do?
In a friendly game, calmly point it out and suggest taking the move back. In a competition, stop the clock and call the arbiter — do not try to settle the dispute yourselves.
Go
What board do you need for go?
The standard board has 19 by 19 lines, which makes 361 points. For learning, people use 9 by 9 and 13 by 13 boards: games on them are shorter and mistakes are easier to see.
Who starts a game of go?
Black moves first. Stones are placed on the intersections of the lines, not in the squares, and once a stone is placed it does not move.
How do you capture your opponent's stones?
You need to occupy all the empty points next to a stone or a connected group — its liberties. When the last liberty is filled, the stones are removed from the board.
How do you know a game of go is over?
When both players think there are no more useful moves, they pass in turn. Then territory and captured stones are counted according to the agreed rules.
Learning and fair play
How many puzzles should I solve?
Regularity matters more than quantity. A few simple puzzles every day do more than a long session once a month. Pick puzzles you can solve without a struggle and make them harder gradually.
Do I need a coach to get started?
Not at first. The rules, puzzles and reviewing your own games are open to everyone. An experienced mentor becomes useful later, when you want to understand strategy more deeply.
Why do people recommend slow time controls?
In a fast game you play on habit; in a slow one you have time to think. A beginner needs time to check threats and find plans, not just react.
Can I check an engine during an online game?
No. It is cheating against your opponent, and accounts get banned for it. Use a program only after the game is over, for review. The strength of programs is no secret: in 1997 a chess computer won a match against the reigning world champion for the first time, and in 2016 a go program built by artificial intelligence researchers beat a top-ranked professional 4:1. That makes your own decisions at the board all the more valuable.
Read next
- Sections
The four sections of the guide: chess, go, learning and practice, and playing with real opponents.
- Guides
How to review your own game and find the key mistake: steps, pitfalls, checklist. Plus the article catalogue.
- Reference
Glossary: check, checkmate, stalemate, castling, notation, liberty, ko, komi, time control.
Sources
- FIDE — Laws of Chess
- Encyclopedic sources on the history of chess and go
Information is current as of the date the material was prepared. Official competition rules are revised from time to time, so before a tournament check the current edition of the rules and the regulations of that particular event.