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M A K E Y O U R M O V E ! M A K E Y O U R M O V E ! International Chess Day is on July 10, and there's no better way to celebrate than by playing a game. For a quick lesson on one of the world's oldest and most popular board games, check out this guide on the basics of gameplay and taking the crown. Pieces cannot occupy the same square as another of the same color. Here's a breakdown of each chess piece and its movements: 8 Pawns: Move one or two spaces forward on their first move. After, they move one space and capture diagonally. 2 Rooks: Move horizontally or vertically as far as possible in a straight line. 2 Knights: Move in an L-shape (two squares horizontally or vertically, then one to the right or left). Knights are the only pieces that can jump over others and capture on the square they land on. 2 Bishops: Move diagonally as far as possible. Bishops start on light or dark squares and must stay on squares of the same color throughout the game. 1 Queen: Moves any number of squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. 1 King: Moves one square in any direction, provided the space isn't under attack. R U L ES O F P L AY Each player starts with 16 chess pieces. White moves first, with players alternating turns, making one move at a time. If one player's piece moves into a space occupied by their opponent's piece, the piece is captured and taken off the board. Throughout the game, players will capture one another's pieces and strategically position their own for defense and attack. T H E O B J E CT I V E The objective of chess is simple: try to checkmate your opponent's king by placing it in check with no legal escape moves. A king is in check when it's under attack and must find a way to escape. The player with the checked king must move to safety, block the attack, or capture the attacking piece with one of their own. If the king has no moves to evade the check, the opposing player announces "checkmate," and the game is over. If either player has no legal moves to make but isn't in check, then the game ends in a stalemate. Players are free to resign or forfeit a game at any time. Now that you know the basics, play a few games without worrying about the results. Get comfortable, have fun, and determine your best strategies. You'll be a pro in no time! T H E C H ES S B OA R D First things first: you'll need a chessboard. These have 64 alternating light and dark squares—eight rows of eight squares. Position the chessboard between two players, with one of the lighter-colored squares in the bottom right-hand corner. COMING HOME MAGAZINE 27