Short answer: turn the board so each player has a white square in the bottom right corner. Put the rooks in the corners, the knights next to them, then the bishops. The queen goes on the square of her own color, and the king goes on the last free square. Fill the row in front with pawns. White moves first.
The board below sets itself up, one kind of piece at a time. You can pause it, or step through it with your child.
Rooks in the corners, then knights, bishops, queens, kings, and a row of pawns in front.
Step by step
- Turn the board the right way. Each player has a light square in the bottom right corner. A saying that helps children: white on the right.
- Rooks in the corners. They look like little castle towers.
- Knights next to the rooks. The horses.
- Bishops next to the knights. The pointed hats.
- The queen on her own color. The white queen goes on the light square in the middle of the back row, the black queen on the dark one. The two queens face each other along the same column.
- The king on the last free square. The kings face each other too.
- Pawns in the second row. Eight for each side.
That is 16 pieces each. White moves first.
The two rules that stop nearly every mistake
Almost every wrong setup comes from one of two things, and each has a short saying that fixes it.
"White on the right." If the corner by your right hand is dark, the board is turned the wrong way. Rotate it a quarter turn. Nothing else about the game will feel right until you do.
"The queen on her color." People swap the king and queen more than anything else. Find the middle two squares of the back row: the queen stands on the one that matches her color.
Check these two before you start and you will set the board up right every time.
Names of the squares
Each square has a name, made of a letter and a number. Columns run from a to h, left to right from White's side. Rows run from 1 to 8, starting at White's end. So the white queen starts on d1 and the black king on e8. Children enjoy this more than you would expect, and it is how coaches talk about a position in a lesson.
How to make it a game for a child
Setting up the pieces is a good first activity for a young child, before any rule of how they move.
- Do it together and name each piece as it goes down.
- Have a race: you set up one side, your child sets up the other.
- Make a deliberate mistake and ask them to spot it.
For a child of four to six, that can be the whole of a first session. Our guide to chess for kindergartners has more ideas like this, and how to teach a child chess shows what comes next.
FAQ
Does the queen go on her own color?
Yes. The white queen starts on a light square and the black queen on a dark square. That is d1 and d8.
Which way does a chess board go?
Each player should have a light square in the bottom right corner. If the right corner is dark, turn the board a quarter turn.
Where do the king and queen go in chess?
On the two middle squares of the back row. The queen goes on the square of her own color and the king next to her. The white king starts on e1, the black king on e8.
Who moves first, White or Black?
White always moves first.
How many pieces does each player have?
Sixteen: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns.
What kind of chess set should I buy?
A plain tournament set is all you need, for about $21. We cover it in chess gifts for kids.
What comes next
Now the pieces are in place, the next job is learning how they move. Our chess rules for beginners goes through all of it on live boards.
If you would rather have a coach start your child off, the first lesson is free and one to one, live online. Book the free first lesson