1Turn the board the right way
A chessboard has 64 squares in an 8 by 8 grid, alternating light and dark. Both FIDE and US Chess give the same rule for placing it: the near corner square on each player's right must be light. The memory aid is "light on the right." If both players sit down and see a light square at their right hand, the board is correct, because the two corners on a diagonal are the same color.
Getting this wrong is the root of most setup errors. With the board turned a quarter turn, either the queens land on the wrong colors or, if you follow the queen's color, the king and queen end up on each other's squares. Check the corner before you place a single piece.
2Coordinates: files and ranks
The columns running away from each player are called files and are lettered a to h, starting from White's left. The rows running across the board are called ranks and are numbered 1 to 8, starting from White's side. Every square has a name made of its file and rank, like e4 or d8. White's back row is rank 1 and Black's back row is rank 8.
The bottom-left corner from White's seat is a1, a dark square. The bottom-right corner is h1, a light square, which is the "light on the right" square. From Black's side, the light corner on the right is a8. Many boards print the letters and numbers along the edges, which makes checking your setup quick.
3Place the pieces, outside in
Each player has 16 pieces: 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights and 8 pawns. The back row fills from the corners toward the middle, the same way on both sides.
Rooks go in the corners. Knights go next to the rooks. Bishops go next to the knights. That leaves two empty squares in the middle, d and e. The queen goes on d, and the king goes on e. Last, all eight pawns go on the row directly in front of the pieces.
| Piece | White | Black | How many |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rook | a1, h1 | a8, h8 | 2 each |
| Knight | b1, g1 | b8, g8 | 2 each |
| Bishop | c1, f1 | c8, f8 | 2 each |
| Queen | d1 (light square) | d8 (dark square) | 1 each |
| King | e1 | e8 | 1 each |
| Pawns | a2 through h2 | a7 through h7 | 8 each |
4Queen on her color
The one placement people forget is the king and queen. The rule is that the queen starts on a square of her own color. The white queen goes on d1, which is light, and the black queen goes on d8, which is dark. The kings take the square next to their queens: e1 for White and e8 for Black.
When the setup is right, the two queens face each other along the d-file and the two kings face each other along the e-file. If your queens are looking at the enemy king, something is swapped. This check only works if the board is turned correctly, which is why the corner comes first.
The side of the board with the kings (files e to h) is called the kingside, and the side with the queens (files a to d) is the queenside. You will see those words in any book that explains castling or openings.
5Who plays White
White always moves first. The FIDE Laws say the player with the light pieces makes the first move and the players then alternate. In tournaments the pairing decides colors. At home, a common way is for one player to hide a white pawn in one fist and a black pawn in the other and let the opponent pick a hand. In a series of games, switch colors each game so nobody always gets the first move.
6Common setup mistakes
These are the errors that show up again and again at club and kitchen tables. Every one of them is easy to catch with a five-second check before the first move.
- Board turned wrong: a dark square in the near right corner. Rotate the board a quarter turn and reset.
- King and queen swapped: the white queen on e1 instead of d1. Queen on her color fixes it.
- Knights and bishops swapped: bishops belong next to the queen and king, knights next to the rooks.
- Queen facing the enemy king: one side has its king and queen swapped. The queens should face each other on the d-file.
- Missing pawn: count eight pawns per side before starting, especially with a set stored in a bag.
7What the rules say if the setup was wrong
In rated play the rulebooks cover this directly. Under the FIDE Laws, if it turns out during a game that the pieces started in the wrong position, the game is cancelled and a new game is played. If only the board was placed wrong, with a dark corner on the right, the game continues, and the position is moved onto a correctly placed board.
US Chess rules are a little different on timing. If the wrong initial position, or reversed colors, is found before Black completes the 10th move, the game is annulled and replayed. After that point, the game continues. An incorrectly placed board is handled the same way as under FIDE: move the position to a correct board and keep playing. In a casual game, just stop and fix it as soon as someone notices.
8Worked examples
Setting up White's side
Empty board, light square at White's near right; 16 white pieces
- Rooks on a1 and h1, the two corners nearest White.
- Knights on b1 and g1.
- Bishops on c1 (dark square) and f1 (light square).
- Queen on d1, the light square, so she is on her own color.
- King on e1.
- Pawns on a2, b2, c2, d2, e2, f2, g2 and h2.
16 pieces on ranks 1 and 2
Setting up Black's side
Same board, 16 black pieces, Black sitting across from White
- Rooks on a8 and h8.
- Knights on b8 and g8, bishops on c8 and f8.
- Queen on d8, the dark square, directly across from the white queen.
- King on e8, directly across from the white king.
- Pawns on a7 through h7.
16 pieces on ranks 7 and 8
Catching a turned board
Pieces set up, but White sees a dark square at the near right corner
- Look at the white queen. On this board she sits on a dark square, which breaks queen on her color.
- The board is turned a quarter turn, which throws off every piece at once.
- Clear the board, rotate it so each near right corner is light, and set up again from the corners in.
Reset before move 1
Five-second check before you start
Finished setup
- Near right corner is light for both players.
- White queen on a light square, black queen on a dark square.
- Queens face each other, kings face each other.
- Bishops stand beside the king and queen, knights beside the rooks.
- Eight pawns on each side.
Ready to play, White moves first
Questions people ask
- Which way does a chessboard go?
- Place it so the near corner square on each player's right is light. That rule appears in both the FIDE Laws and the US Chess rules. The memory aid is "light on the right."
- Does the queen go on her color?
- Yes. The white queen starts on d1, a light square, and the black queen starts on d8, a dark square. The kings go beside them on e1 and e8.
- Where do the king and queen go in chess?
- In the two middle squares of the back row. The queen takes the d-file square that matches her color, and the king takes the e-file square next to her. The kings face each other across the board, and so do the queens.
- Where do the knights and bishops go?
- Knights go next to the rooks, on b1 and g1 for White and b8 and g8 for Black. Bishops go next to the knights, on c1 and f1 for White and c8 and f8 for Black.
- Does white or black go first in chess?
- White always moves first, then the players alternate. At home, players often decide who gets White by hiding one pawn of each color in their fists and letting the other person choose.
- What happens if the chessboard was set up wrong?
- Under FIDE rules, a wrong starting position means the game is cancelled and replayed, while a board turned the wrong way is fixed by moving the position to a correct board. US Chess replays the game only if the error is found before Black's 10th move.
Sources
Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.
- FIDE Laws of Chess taking effect from 1 January 2023, FIDE Handbook. Read September 29, 2026.
- US Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess, 7th Edition (Chapters 1 and 2), US Chess Federation. Read September 29, 2026.