Chess: Lesson 1 - The Chess Board

Our first chess lesson taught us all about the chess board. Here's what we learned:

• The chess board is a large square with 64 smaller squares: 32 light and 32 dark.
• Files are the vertical lines (up and down).
  
• Ranks are the horizontal lines (across).

• Diagonal lines go from corner to corner.
• When you set up the board, you must place it so a light square is on each player's right. To remember this, use the rhyme: "light on the right."
• Files are labeled with letters a-h (always lowercase).
• Ranks are labeled with numbers 1-8.
• Each square is where a file and rank intersect.
  
• The squares are named with letters and numbers called coordinates.
  
• When naming a coordinate, the file is first and the rank second. We remember this by saying "Walk over and jump up." Some coordinates are: c3, h7, a4.