How to Set Up a Chess Board

The chess board should be placed between the two players, sitting across from each other.

If your board has numbers and letters on it, make sure that the letters are in front of each player.

If you are using one of our boards, this means the logo should be in front of the players.

Each player will play with one color of the pieces and should place their pieces on their side of the board.

  • Step 1

    Place the board with the light square on the bottom-right corner. This is a mistake a lot of people make. Easy way to remember is 'white on the right'.

  • Step 2

    Place a rook (castle) on each of the two corners. 

  • Step 3

    Now set your knights on the inside of the rooks (castles).

  • Step 4

    Place the bishops on the inside of the knights.

  • Step 5

    Place your queen on the matching color square. Queen always sits in the color of its square. White queen on the light colored square and the black queen on the dark colored square of the board. On our engraved boards, the engraved squares are the dark squares.

  • Step 6

    Now set your king on the last square left.

  • Step 7

    Place all your pawns in front of your other pieces.

  • Step 8

    You can start playing now. Remember, white goes first!

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