Whether you're diving into your first chess match or brushing up on the basics, setting up the board correctly is your very first move. Here's how to do it like a pro—even if you're just getting started!

How to set up a chess board

  1. Orient your board.
  2. Place pawns on the second row.
  3. Put the rooks in each corner.
  4. Put the knights next to the rooks.
  5. Put the bishops next to the knights.
  6. Put the queen on the square of her color.
  7. Put the king next to the queen.
LEARN CHESS ON DUOLINGO

Here's how that will look:

Step 1. Orient your board in the right direction.

Make sure each player has a light-colored square in the corner on their right-hand side. This sets the stage for everything else to fall into place.

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Remember: Light on the right!
A chess board with no pieces, with the light-colored square in the bottom right corner (and the dark-colored square in the bottom left).

Step 2. Place your pawns on the second row.

Next, line up all eight pawns on the second row (the first row is the one closest to you). Both players will do this—it’s the front line of your army!

Chess board showing pawns arranged in a straight line across the second row for each player, with black pawns on the second row from the top and white pawns on the second row from the bottom.

Step 3. Put the rooks in each corner.

Now your rooks go in the two corners of your first row. Think of them as your castle walls.

Chess board showing rooks placed in the four corners, with pawns lined up on the second row for each player—black pieces at the top and white pieces at the bottom.

Step 4. Put the knights next to the rooks.

Next come the knights, one square in from each corner, next to the rooks. These are your trusty cavalry!

Chess board showing rooks in the corners and knights placed next to them on the first row, with pawns lined up on the second row for each player—black at the top, white at the bottom.

Step 5. Put the bishops next to the knights.

Place your bishops right next to the knights. You can think of them as close advisors of the monarchs. 👑

Fun fact: Bishops evolved from elephant pieces in earlier versions of chess!

Chess board showing rooks in the corners, knights next to them, and bishops placed beside the knights on the first row, with pawns lined up on the second row for each player—black at the top, white at the bottom.

Step 6. Put the queen on her own color.

It can be tricky to remember the next steps! Always place the queen on the square that matches her color. If you're playing white, that means the queen goes on the light square.

Chess board showing rooks, knights, and bishops on the first row, with the queen placed on the center square of her own color, and pawns lined up on the second row for each player—black at the top, white at the bottom.

Step 7. Put the king next to the queen.

The king gets the final square in the first row. Now your royal court is ready!

Fully set chess board showing all pieces in their starting positions: rooks in the corners, knights next to rooks, bishops next to knights, the queen on her own color, the king beside the queen, and pawns filling the second row—black at the top, white at the bottom.

Time to play ⏰

White always goes first, which gives a slight advantage. Over time, you'll learn to use your color as part of your strategy, either to make the most of that advantage or to develop techniques to work around it.

If you’re using a clock, here’s what you should know:

  • Each player gets their own timer (like “5 minutes” each).
  • You press the button to end your turn and start your opponent’s clock.
  • The player with the black pieces decides where they want the clock. Since most people are right-handed, the clock tends to be on black's right.
  • Playing with a clock helps build good habits (and keeps games snappy!). This is especially good for beginners, who can use a clock to help them play more efficiently (it's so tempting to want to consider all possible moves!).

Your move!

That’s it—you’re ready to play! 🏁

As you keep practicing, you’ll start recognizing patterns on the board, and in fact, the dark and light squares will become part of what you look for when you identify and consider moves. Learning to set up the board helps train your brain from the very beginning. ♟️