Chessboard

A chessboard is a <a href="/facts/Game_board/ctkuzWJU">game board</a> used to play <a href="/facts/Chess/47ykvkHF">chess</a>. It consists of 64 squares, 8 rows by 8 columns, on which the <a href="/facts/Chess_piece/gV1yydvk">chess pieces</a> are placed. It is square in shape and uses two colors of squares, one light and one dark, in a checkered pattern. During play, the board is oriented such that each player's near-right corner square is a light square.
The columns of a chessboard are known as <a href="/facts/Glossary_of_chess/bh0g4wCP">files</a>, the rows are known as <a href="/facts/Glossary_of_chess/bh0g4wCP">ranks</a>, and the lines of adjoining same-colored squares (each running from one edge of the board to an adjacent edge) are known as <a href="/facts/Glossary_of_chess/bh0g4wCP">diagonals</a>. Each square of the board is named using <a href="/facts/Algebraic_notation_(chess)/gU96RuM3">algebraic</a>, <a href="/facts/Descriptive_notation/BfrDgdIX">descriptive</a>, or <a href="/facts/ICCF_numeric_notation/DBcJFjJh">numeric</a> <a href="/facts/Chess_notation/uDRpuNHp">chess notation</a>; algebraic notation is the FIDE standard. In algebraic notation, using White's perspective, files are labeled a through h from left to right, and ranks are labeled 1 through 8 from bottom to top; each square is identified by the file and rank that it occupies. The a- through d-files constitute the <a href="/facts/Glossary_of_chess/bh0g4wCP">queenside</a>, and the e- through h-files constitute the <a href="/facts/Glossary_of_chess/bh0g4wCP">kingside</a>; the 1st through 4th ranks constitute White's side, and the 5th through 8th ranks constitute Black's side.

Chessboard open-in-new

Chessboard