Learn chess · Step 1

How to set up a chess board

By HussainUpdated October 29, 20264 min read

Setting up the board takes less than a minute once you know the pattern. There are only two things beginners usually get wrong: which way the board faces, and where the king and queen go. Here's the whole setup in five steps.

Light square in the bottom-right corner

Quick answer

Turn the board so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner. Put the rooks in the corners, the knights next to them, then the bishops. The queen goes on her own color (white queen on d1, black queen on d8), the king next to her, and the pawns fill the row in front.

The starting position

This is what the board looks like when everything is set up correctly. Notice the light square in the bottom-right corner, and the white queen on a light square (d1).

You can tap the white pieces to see their first moves.

Step by step

  1. Turn the board the right way. Each player should have a light square in the bottom-right corner. Remember: "light on the right."
  2. Rooks in the corners. Put the rooks on a1 and h1 for White, a8 and h8 for Black.
  3. Knights next to the rooks. b1 and g1 for White, b8 and g8 for Black.
  4. Bishops next to the knights. c1 and f1 for White, c8 and f8 for Black.
  5. Queen on her own color. The white queen goes on the light square d1; the black queen goes on the dark square d8. The kings take the last squares, e1 and e8.

Finally, fill the second rank with White's pawns and the seventh rank with Black's pawns. The kings and queens face each other across the board.

Easy memory tricks

  • "Light on the right": the corner square on your right is always light.
  • "Queen on her color": white queen on a light square, black queen on a dark square.
  • Mirror image: Black's pieces are directly across from White's, piece for piece.

Common setup mistakes

  • The board is turned sideways, with a dark square in the bottom-right corner.
  • King and queen swapped. If the white queen is on a dark square, swap them.
  • Knights and bishops swapped. Knights always stand next to the rooks.

Frequently asked questions

Which side of the board does White start on?

It doesn't matter which side of the table, as long as each player has a light square in their bottom-right corner. White's pieces start on ranks 1 and 2.

Does the queen always go on her own color?

Yes. The white queen starts on a light square (d1), the black queen on a dark square (d8).

Where does the king go?

Next to the queen, on the e-file: e1 for White and e8 for Black.

Next step

Step 2

How the pieces move

Try each piece on its own board.

 Guide

How to play chess

All the rules in one place.