Chess board setup
See where every piece goes and why. Step through the setup, or flip the board to check it from Black's side.
Board as text
- White: King e1, Queen d1, Rook a1, Rook h1, Bishop c1, Bishop f1, Knight b1, Knight g1, Pawn a2, Pawn b2, Pawn c2, Pawn d2, Pawn e2, Pawn f2, Pawn g2, Pawn h2
- Black: King e8, Queen d8, Rook a8, Rook h8, Bishop c8, Bishop f8, Knight b8, Knight g8, Pawn a7, Pawn b7, Pawn c7, Pawn d7, Pawn e7, Pawn f7, Pawn g7, Pawn h7
All pieces placed. Press Back to build it one step at a time.
Eight pawns fill the second rank for White and the seventh rank for Black.
- Turn the board so a light square is at your right. Each player has a light square in their near right-hand corner. If the corner on your right is dark, rotate the board.
- Rooks in the corners. Rooks go on the outside corners of the back rank.
- Knights next to the rooks. Knights go immediately inside the rooks.
- Bishops next to the knights. Bishops go immediately inside the knights.
- Queens on their own colour. The queen goes on the central square of her own colour: the white queen on the light d1, the black queen on the dark d8.
- Kings beside the queens. The king takes the vacant square next to the queen.
- Pawns in front of every piece. Eight pawns fill the second rank for White and the seventh rank for Black.
Quick answer. Put a light square in your right-hand corner, rooks in the corners, then knights, bishops, queen on her own colour (white queen on d1), king beside her, and pawns in front.
How to set up a chess board in 3 steps
- Face the board correctly. Turn it so the square in your near right-hand corner is light. Your opponent sits opposite, with their own light square on their right.
- Fill the back rank. From the left corner, White's back rank reads rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook. Black's mirrors it.
- Add the pawns. Put a pawn in front of every piece. That is the second rank for White and the seventh rank for Black.
Key takeaway. "Light on the right" and "queen on her own colour" fix the two mistakes beginners make most.
Where each piece goes
| Piece | White squares | Black squares | Count each |
|---|---|---|---|
| King | e1 | e8 | 1 |
| Queen | d1 | d8 | 1 |
| Rook | a1, h1 | a8, h8 | 2 |
| Bishop | c1, f1 | c8, f8 | 2 |
| Knight | b1, g1 | b8, g8 | 2 |
| Pawn | a2, b2, c2, d2, e2, f2, g2, h2 | a7, b7, c7, d7, e7, f7, g7, h7 | 8 |
Each side starts with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns.
Common set-up mistakes
| Mistake | How to spot it | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Board turned the wrong way | The corner on your right is dark. | Rotate the board a quarter turn. |
| Queen and king swapped | The white queen is on a dark square. | Put the queen on her own colour: white queen d1 (light), black queen d8 (dark). |
| Bishops and knights swapped | A bishop sits next to a rook. | Order from the corner is rook, knight, bishop. |
| Pawns on the wrong rank | White pawns are on the back rank or two rows in front of it. | White pawns go on rank 2, black pawns on rank 7. |
Frequently asked questions
Which way should a chessboard face?
Place the board so each player has a light square in their near right-hand corner. The FIDE Laws of Chess state this in Article 2.
Where does the queen go?
On the central square of her own colour. The white queen starts on d1, a light square, and the black queen on d8, a dark square.
Where does the king go?
Next to the queen, on the vacant central square: e1 for White and e8 for Black.
How many pieces does each player start with?
Sixteen: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns (FIDE Laws of Chess, Article 2).
In what order do the back-rank pieces go?
From the left corner: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook. Black's pieces mirror White's, so queen faces queen.
What do I do if the dark corner is on my right?
Turn the board a quarter turn. If you only notice later, check the queens: a white queen on a dark square means the board or the queens are the wrong way round.
Do pawns go in front of every piece?
Yes. Eight pawns fill the second rank for White and the seventh rank for Black, one in front of every back-rank piece.
More free chess tools
- Chess piece names and movesNames, letters and how each piece moves.
- Chess piece valuesPoint values and a material counter.
- Chess clockComing soon
- Chess set size calculatorComing soon
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Last checked: . We read these sources when writing this page:
- FIDE Handbook E.01, Laws of Chess (effective 2023)
- Wikipedia: Rules of chess (initial setup, castling, en passant)
FIDE Article 2 gives the starting position as a diagram; the piece-by-piece placement in words comes from the Wikipedia rules page, which matches the diagram.
US Chess rules and Britannica could not be read (HTTP 403) on the check date, so they are not cited.