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Beginner lesson 1/20
The board and starting position
Learn the 8×8 board, coordinates and where every piece starts.
Learn this chess concept step by step, then practise it on the interactive ChessRivo board.
Open interactive lessonAbout this lesson
Chess has 64 squares arranged in 8 files and 8 ranks. White starts on ranks 1–2 and Black on 7–8.
Key ideas
- Files are named a–h and ranks 1–8.
- The queen starts on her own color.
- White always makes the first move.
Coach tip: Tip: learn coordinates early; they make puzzles and analysis much easier.
Test yourself
How many squares are on a chessboard?
- 32
- 64
- 81
Show answer
Correct answer: 64
Practise this lesson interactively
Open the ChessRivo Academy board exercise for this exact lesson. Your progress is saved when you are signed in.
Open interactive lessonHow to use this lesson in a real game
Turn the idea into a repeatable decision process.
- Before moving, name the position feature this lesson is about.
- Find one candidate move that follows the lesson idea and one alternative.
- After the game, return to the critical position and compare your choice with the lesson.