Know Your Pieces

Req 3b — Setting Up the Board

3b.
How to set up a chessboard

Setting up the board correctly is the first thing you do in any chess game — and getting it wrong is one of the most common beginner mistakes. Here is how to do it right, every time.

Step 1: Orient the Board

Place the board so that each player has a light-colored square in the bottom-right corner. The easy way to remember: “light on right.” If the dark square is in the bottom-right corner, the board is rotated 90 degrees and needs to be turned.

Step 2: Place the Rooks

Put one rook on each corner square of your back rank (the row closest to you). Rooks always start in the corners.

Step 3: Place the Knights

Place a knight next to each rook — on the second and seventh squares of your back rank.

Step 4: Place the Bishops

Place a bishop next to each knight — on the third and sixth squares.

Step 5: Place the Queen

Here comes the rule that trips up beginners: “Queen on her color.” The White queen goes on the light square (d1). The Black queen goes on the dark square (d8). If you remember nothing else about setup, remember this.

Step 6: Place the King

The king goes on the remaining square next to the queen. White’s king goes on e1 (dark square), Black’s king on e8 (light square).

Step 7: Place the Pawns

Line up all eight pawns on the second rank (the row directly in front of your other pieces).

The Complete Setup

Here is what the board should look like when set up correctly, from White’s perspective:

8  ♜ ♞ ♝ ♛ ♚ ♝ ♞ ♜
7  ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟
6  · · · · · · · ·
5  · · · · · · · ·
4  · · · · · · · ·
3  · · · · · · · ·
2  ♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ ♙ ♙
1  ♖ ♘ ♗ ♕ ♔ ♗ ♘ ♖
   a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h
A correctly set up chessboard showing all 32 pieces in their starting positions, with file and rank labels visible

Setup Verification

Check these before every game
  • Light square in the bottom-right corner (“light on right”).
  • Rooks in the corners.
  • Knights next to rooks.
  • Bishops next to knights.
  • Queen on her own color (“queen on her color”).
  • King on the remaining center square.
  • All eight pawns on the second rank.
  • Both sides mirror each other across the board.

Common Setup Mistakes

Teaching Board Setup with EDGE

When teaching someone to set up the board:

  1. Explain the two key rules: “light on right” and “queen on her color.”
  2. Demonstrate by setting up your own side while narrating each step.
  3. Guide them through setting up the other side, prompting with questions like “What goes in the corner?” and “What color square does the queen go on?”
  4. Enable them to set up the entire board from scratch while you observe.
Lichess Board Setup Tutorial Interactive lesson that walks you through setting up the board, with instant feedback when you place pieces.

With the board set up correctly, you are ready to learn how each piece moves across those 64 squares.