Fashions for board games come and go but one that has stood the test of time is chess.  It's a game that crosses all language and cultural barriers. As well as its educational value, it helps players develop their strategic skills while  improving concentration levels. Anyone can learn to play chess and it's never too late to learn. However, before you start, it's important to set up your pieces in the right place.


Chess is a game that crosses all language and cultural barriers and is enormously educational, helping players develop their strategic skills in defence and attack as well as improving concentration levels. Here's what you do.



Step 1: 
Start with the board: All chess boards are made up from 64 alternating black and white squares upon which you will place your chess pieces. However, before you begin to set up your chess pieces, the board must be facing the right way. Make sure that when you place your chess board down on a table or wherever you are playing, that each opposing player has a white square in the bottom right hand corner.


Step 2: 
Placing the Queen: It is probably easiest to start filling the back row with chess pieces first. These rows are called ‘Files’. You could start with the Queen, the most powerful piece of all the pieces. Whichever color you are, Black or White, your Queen will always stand on her own color in the center on the File closest to you.

So if you are playing with White pieces, your Queen will stand on the fourth square from your left and in the first row (File) closes to you. This will be a white square. And for the Black Queen, it will be the fifth square from the left, directly opposite the White Queen. So the Queens always begin opposite each other standing on their own colored square.


Step 3: 
Placing the King:
Next you can place the King next to the Queen. The King always stands on the square to the right of the Queen on the opposite colored square to itself. Both King and Queen will now occupy the two center squares of the back row.


Step 4: 
Filling the back row:
Now you can carry on filling squares outwards from the King and Queen. Flanking these two royals come the Bishops. Place one Bishop either side of the King and Queen on the third square in from the right and left on the back row. Next are the Knights who are placed next to the Bishops on the second squares in from the left and right on the back row. Finally, place your two Rooks in the two extreme corners on the back row.


Step 5: 
Completing the board: Finally, it’s the turn of the eight Pawns. The Pawns are placed alongside each other on the second row in front of the main pieces already set up. And you’re ready to play.

What You Will Need 
• A chess board
• Chess pieces
• Two players

Tips and Warnings 

The Queen is always placed on the same colored square as itself.
Take care not to lose any pieces.
Try to encourage children to play chess from a young age.
Magnetic chess boards are useful for long car journeys.