--- title: "Chessboard" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chessboard.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chessboard" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "The chessboard is the playing field for every game of chess, a large square divided into eight rows and eight columns of light and dark cells that alternate." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/square.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/file.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rank.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/diagonal.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/coordinates.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/starting-position.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/rules-notation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Chessboard > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. The chessboard is the playing field for every game of chess, a large square divided into eight rows and eight columns of light and dark cells that alternate. The chessboard is the playing field for every game of chess, a large square divided into eight rows and eight columns of light and dark cells that alternate, set so the corner nearest each player's right hand is light. Setting it up correctly comes first. Before placing a piece, look at the corner square closest to your right hand: it must be light. A second quick check is that each queen starts on her own color, the white queen on a light square and the black queen on a dark one. The colors are more than decoration. Thirty-two squares are light and thirty-two dark, and the [Laws of Chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rules-of-chess.md) call them the white and the black squares whatever stands on them. Because a [bishop](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/bishop.md) never changes color, every game is split into two [color complexes](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/color-complex.md), and many plans come down to which complex your pawns and bishops control. Players also divide the board into zones. The four central squares, d4, d5, e4 and e5, are the most valuable early on. The files a to d form the queenside and e to h the kingside, named after where the queen and king start, and the two rows nearest each player are that player's home ranks. A common [mistake](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mistake.md) in home study is setting up a printed diagram with the board turned the wrong way, which swaps the king and queen and makes the notation fail. Another is studying only from White's side; turn the board around regularly so positions look familiar from both chairs. Tip: name the color of random squares, such as h1 light and a1 dark, until it is instant. That habit speeds up bishop and [endgame](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame.md) [calculation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/calculation.md). Also called: board. Also worth reading is [File](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/file.md). A file is one of the eight vertical columns of the chessboard, labeled a to h from White’s left to right, and a key line along which rooks, queens and pawn structures operate. Also worth reading is [Rank](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rank.md). A rank is any of the eight horizontal rows of the chessboard; FIDE numbers them 1 to 8 beginning on White's side, and rooks and queens slide along them while pawns climb from one rank to the next. It sits close to [Staunton pieces](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/staunton-pieces.md). Staunton pieces are the standard design of chess set used in tournaments, with a distinct silhouette for each piece, and the design the Laws name for the specially made boards used by visually disabled players. Once "Chessboard" is familiar, the next question is what to work on at your rating, which the [improvement plans by rating band](https://georgelichess.com/improve.md) answer with game and puzzle data. ## Related terms - [Square](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/square.md) - [File](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/file.md) - [Rank](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rank.md) - [Diagonal](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/diagonal.md) - [Coordinates](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/coordinates.md) - [Starting position](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/starting-position.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. ## Sources - FIDE Laws of Chess (taking effect from 1 January 2023) (Article 1.1), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (taking effect from 1 January 2023) (Article 2.1), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (taking effect from 1 January 2023) (Article 2.3), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Square in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/square.md) - [File in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/file.md) - [Rank in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rank.md) - [Diagonal in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/diagonal.md) - [Coordinates in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/coordinates.md) - [Starting position in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/starting-position.md) - [Chess terms: Rules, notation and equipment](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/rules-notation.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)