Chess for Absolute Beginners by Grandmaster Priyadharshan Kannappan

What Is Chess?

Chess is a two-player strategy game played on a square board of 64 alternating light and dark squares. Each player begins with 16 pieces:

• 1 King

• 1 Queen

• 2 Rooks

• 2 Knights

• 2 Bishops

• 8 Pawns

The objective? Checkmate your opponent’s king — putting it in a position where it cannot escape capture.

Setting Up the Board

Place the board so that each player has a light square in their right-hand corner (remember: “light on right”). The pieces are then arranged in this order:
Back rank (left to right): Rook, Knight, Bishop, Queen, King, Bishop, Knight, Rook
Front rank: All pawns
Want to try this out? Use Lichess’s board editor to practice setting up.

How the Pieces Move

If you're new and wondering how each piece moves, check out my full beginner guide:
** “Chess for Beginners: Grandmaster Guide to Play”**
(Or use the Learn section on Lichess)

Special Moves You Need to Know

1. Castling

The only move where two pieces — the king and a rook — move at once. Your king jumps two squares toward the rook, and the rook jumps over to the square next to the king.
Think of it as building a castle for your king — safe behind a wall of pawns.
Watch this explainer video on Castling
Practice Castling on Lichess

2. En Passant

A special pawn capture that can only happen when your opponent moves their pawn two squares forward from its starting square, landing next to your pawn. You can capture it as if it had moved only one square.
Watch En Passant Explained
Try it on Lichess Practice

3. Pawn Promotion

When your pawn reaches the last rank, you can promote it — usually to a Queen. Think of it as graduating to the top of the class!
Practice pawn promotion on Lichess

The Goal: Checkmate

You win the game by delivering checkmate — a direct attack on the king that it cannot escape from.
Tip: Always protect your own king (by castling early!) while working on delivering threats to your opponent.
Watch beginner-friendly checkmate patterns

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Ignoring your opponent’s moves

   • Always ask: “What is my opponent threatening?”

2. Delaying piece development

   • Develop knights and bishops early. Don’t let them sleep!

3. Not castling early

   • Your king is vulnerable in the center. Castle to safety!

4. Pushing too many pawns

   • Pawns can’t move backward. Don’t weaken your structure early.

5. Overlooking threats

   • Watch out for pins, forks, and skewers. Lichess puzzles can help with this.

Try Lichess Puzzles
Watch videos on tactics and threats

Tips to Improve Fast

1. Play regularly – Blitz, rapid, classical — it all helps. Try Lichess’s Arena Tournaments.

2. Analyze your games – Use Lichess analysis tools to spot mistakes and blunders.

3. Study famous games – Watch how grandmasters think and play.

4. Solve puzzles – Try Lichess's puzzle dashboard to challenge your brain.

5. Join a chess community – Online or local clubs, find chess friends to grow with.

Free Beginner Video Courses

We at Chess Gaja have a YouTube Channel packed with beginner-friendly videos:

• How to checkmate

• How to use each piece

• How to think like a grandmaster

** Subscribe to Chess Gaja on YouTube**

Final Thoughts

Congratulations on taking your first steps into chess! Remember, learning chess is not just about winning — it’s about thinking critically, solving problems, and enjoying the journey.
If you're serious about improving and want to learn from a structured curriculum, you can reach out to Chess Gaja, where we’ve helped students from over 15 countries go from beginner to tournament-ready.
See you on the board — and maybe in a Lichess game soon!

GM Priyadharshan Kannappan
Founder & Head Coach
www.chessgaja.com
YouTube:[ @chessgaja](https://youtube.com/@chessgaja)