Chess Rules: The Complete Guide From a Tournament Insider

Every chessboard tells a story long before the first pawn touches the center. You can hear it in the tense silence of a tournament hall, in the click of a clock, in the way a player hovers over a knight, hesitates, and then whispers j’adoube to adjust it. Chess rules aren’t just a set of instructions—they’re the architecture that keeps the game fair, elegant, and razor-sharp under pressure. From basic chess rules for beginners to the trickiest tournament situations, this is the full map, translated from the FIDE Laws and lived experience at the board.

Master this once, and you’ll never again wonder whether you can castle through check, how to claim threefold repetition, or what happens after an illegal move in blitz. You’ll also leave with a printable chess rules cheat sheet and a clear piece movement chart to keep by your board or lesson plan.

The Board and Setup: Where Every Game Begins

A chessboard has 64 squares, arranged in an 8×8 grid. Light on your right is the setup mantra for both players; if the bottom-right square isn’t light, you’ve rotated the board incorrectly.

Each side begins with:

8 pawns (front rank)
2 rooks (corners)
2 knights (beside rooks)
2 bishops (beside knights)
1 queen (on her color)
1 king (beside the queen)

White moves first. Players then alternate one move at a time.

Chess Piece Movements: The Cleanest Explanation You’ll Ever Need

Each chess piece has a unique movement pattern. Understanding these chess piece movements is the foundation of all tactics and strategy.

Pawn movement rules: Pawns move forward, not backward. From their starting square, they may move two squares forward; otherwise, one. They capture one square diagonally forward. Pawns can’t capture forward. Pawns have three special rules: en passant, promotion, and the initial two-step.
Knight movement rules: Knights move in an L-shape: two squares in one direction, one perpendicular. Knights can jump over pieces.
Bishop movement rules: Bishops move diagonally any number of squares. Each bishop stays on one color forever.
Rook movement rules: Rooks move horizontally or vertically any number of squares. Rooks help control files and ranks and play a key role in castling.
Queen movement rules: The queen moves like a rook and bishop combined—diagonal, horizontal, or vertical, any distance.
King movement rules: The king moves one square in any direction. He may capture like any piece would capture—provided he doesn’t move into check. The king cannot move into check, through check, or remain in check after a move.
Can the king capture: Yes. The king can capture any adjacent enemy piece if the destination square isn’t controlled by an enemy piece. The king may never move into check.

Piece Movement and Capture Quick Reference

Piece	How It Moves	How It Captures	Special Notes
Pawn	Forward one (two from start)	Diagonally forward one	En passant, promotion
Knight	L-shape (2+1)	Same L-shape	Jumps over pieces
Bishop	Diagonally any number	Diagonally any number	Stays on its color
Rook	Horizontally/vertically any	Same	Key to castling
Queen	Rook + bishop combined	Same	Most powerful piece
King	One square any direction	Same	Castling; never into check

Special Moves Explained: Castling, En Passant, and Pawn Promotion

Special moves are the test of whether someone truly knows the rules of chess. They’re also where edge cases live—especially under tournament conditions.

Castling Rules

Definition: Castling is a king move performed together with a rook. The king moves two squares toward the rook; the rook jumps to the square the king crossed. There are two kinds: kingside (short) and queenside (long).

You can castle only if:

Neither the king nor the involved rook has moved earlier in the game.
No pieces stand between the king and that rook.
The king is not in check.
The king does not pass through a square that is under attack.
The king does not end up in check.

When can you castle in chess? Only when all these conditions are met. The most misunderstood points:

You cannot castle out of check.
You cannot castle through check.
You cannot castle into check.
If your rook has moved and returned, castling on that side is permanently lost.
If your king has moved and returned, castling is permanently lost on both sides, even if he went back.

Edge case: Illegal castle attempts sometimes occur when players forget a piece once stood in the way, or a rook moved earlier. In tournaments, an attempted illegal castle must be corrected. In online chess, the interface usually prevents it.

En Passant Rule

Definition: En passant is a special pawn capture that occurs immediately after an opposing pawn moves two squares forward from its starting rank and lands adjacent to your pawn. Your pawn can capture it as if it had moved only one square.

How it works:

If White moves a pawn from e2 to e4 and Black has a pawn on d4, Black may capture en passant on e3 with the pawn from d4—but only on the very next move. If Black plays anything else, the right disappears.
The capture is diagonal, and the captured pawn is removed from the square it skipped over.

What is en passant? It’s a rule preventing a pawn from bypassing an enemy pawn’s control by jumping two squares. The “immediately next move” condition is non-negotiable.

Pawn Promotion Rules

Definition: When a pawn reaches the farthest rank, it must be promoted to a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same color. It does not keep moving as a pawn.

Underpromotion in chess: Choosing a rook, bishop, or knight instead of a queen is legal and sometimes brilliant—think knight forks or stalemate avoidance. Underpromotion is more than a curiosity; it’s a practical resource.
Can you have two queens in chess? Yes. It’s common in endgames. If you lack an extra queen piece, use an upside-down rook or another agreed token—tournament sets usually have a spare.
Promotion happens on the arrival square, and the new piece starts moving immediately from there. There is no “waiting period.”

Check, Checkmate, and Stalemate

Check vs Checkmate

What is check: The king is under attack. You must remove the check immediately—by moving the king, blocking the line of attack (not possible against knight checks), or capturing the attacking piece.
Checkmate rules: The king is in check and no legal move can remove the check. The game ends immediately; the player who is checkmated loses.

Stalemate Rules

Definition: Stalemate occurs when a player has no legal moves and is not in check. The game is a draw.

Stalemate vs checkmate:

Stalemate: no legal moves, king not in check → draw.
Checkmate: king in check, no legal escape → win for the attacker.

Stalemate is a weapon. Experienced players use stalemate ideas to save hopeless positions; beginners often stumble into stalemates when they have an overwhelming material advantage but forget to leave the opponent any legal squares.

Can you move into check? No. Not with any king move, not via castling, and not as the result of a discovered attack. A move that leaves your own king in check is illegal.

Draw Rules in Chess: Repetition, Move Counts, and Dead Positions

Draws are part of chess’s DNA. Understanding how and when games end in a draw makes you a more precise competitor—and keeps you from arguing over the clock in the final seconds.

Threefold Repetition Rule

Definition: A player may claim a draw if the same position occurs three times with the same player to move and the same castling and en passant rights. The positions do not need to be consecutive, but everything relevant to legal moves must be identical.

How to claim threefold repetition:

On your move, write the move that will produce the third repetition on your scoresheet without playing it, stop the clock, and summon the arbiter.
If the position has already appeared three times before your move, you can claim after making your move by stopping the clock and calling the arbiter.
Online, use the platform’s claim button; the server verifies automatically.

Fivefold Repetition Rule

Definition: When the same position occurs five times, the game is drawn automatically under the FIDE Laws, without requiring a claim. Some national federations mirror this; always check event rules.

50 Move Rule in Chess

Definition: A player may claim a draw if no capture and no pawn move has occurred in the last 50 moves by each side. This avoids endless shuffling.

75 Move Rule

Definition: If no capture or pawn move has occurred in 75 moves by each side, the game is drawn automatically. As with fivefold, some federations and events align with this standard.

Insufficient Material Draw

Definition: When neither side has sufficient material to checkmate by any legal sequence, the game is a draw.

Common insufficient material examples:

King vs king
King and bishop vs king
King and knight vs king
King and bishop vs king and bishop, with both bishops on the same color squares (mate is impossible)
King and knight vs king and knight is generally drawn for insufficient mating material if nothing else remains to force mate

Dead Position in Chess

Definition: A position is dead when no legal series of moves can lead to checkmate. The game ends immediately as a draw. Sometimes this is obvious (king vs king), sometimes subtle (wrong bishop with a rook pawn locked on a square opposite the bishop’s color).

Perpetual Check vs Threefold Repetition

Perpetual check is a practical technique of giving endless checks. Threefold repetition is a rules-based draw that depends on positions repeating. Perpetual check nearly always creates a threefold repetition, but not all repetitions are by perpetual check—some are by repeating moves and positions without checks.

Illegal Moves, Touch-Move, and OTB Etiquette

Illegal Move in Chess

An illegal move is any move not permitted by the rules: moving a piece in an impossible way, leaving your king in check, making a third square in castling, promoting incorrectly, moving when it’s not your turn, or pressing the clock without moving.

Handling illegal moves:

Over the board with an arbiter: The illegal move must be retracted and a legal move played. Penalties vary by time control and event—commonly, the opponent receives time compensation for the first illegal move; a second illegal move by the same player can lose the game. The arbiter reinstates the correct position.
Online: Illegal moves are generally not possible because the interface forbids them. Some platforms allow pre-move blunders like moving into check if lag or rules interpretation differ, but the server usually disallows illegal king moves or illegal castles.

Touch Move Rule

Definition: If you deliberately touch one of your own pieces on your move, you must move it if it has a legal move. If you touch an opponent’s piece, you must capture it if a legal capture exists.

If you wish to adjust a piece without the intention of moving it, say “j’adoube” or “I adjust” before touching the piece. Do not abuse this in your opponent’s time.
If no legal move is available for the touched piece, you may move any legal piece.

Touch Move Penalty

Violations can result in warnings, time penalties, or arbiter intervention. In serious events, repeated misuse or acting after touching a piece may even lead to loss of the game.

Claiming a Draw Procedure

For threefold repetition or the 50-move rule: on your move, stop the clock and call the arbiter before moving (or after playing the move that creates the claimable position). Provide your scoresheet or the digital record. If your claim is incorrect, your opponent may be awarded time and the game continues.
Automatic draws (fivefold or 75-move): the arbiter will declare it when observed, or the server will enforce it online.

Chess Clock Rules: Time Controls, Flagging, and Increments

Chess isn’t just about moves—it’s about time management under pressure. Clocks keep competitors honest and games on schedule.

Basic Chess Clock Rules

Each player has a set amount of time to make all their moves.
After making a move, you must press your side of the clock.
If your time reaches zero before the game ends and your opponent has sufficient mating material, you lose on time. If your opponent has insufficient mating material, the game is drawn.

Increment and Delay Explained

Increment (Fischer): After every move you make, a small amount of time (e.g., 2 seconds or 5 seconds) is added to your clock. This rewards steady play and makes endgames cleaner.
Delay (common in US events): On each move, a short delay counts down first; your main time does not start running until the delay expires. If you move before the delay ends, your main time doesn’t decrease. Simple delay and Bronstein delay work similarly from a player’s perspective; both soften time scrambles.

Flagging in Chess Rules

“Flagging” means winning on time when your opponent’s clock reaches zero. You don’t need to announce it; press their clock side to show their flag fell and call the arbiter if necessary.
Online, the server handles flagging automatically. Over the board, pay attention to the flag indicator on analog clocks or the display on digital clocks.

Blitz Chess Rules, Rapid, and Bullet

Rapid and blitz retain all fundamental rules of chess, but penalties for illegal moves, draw claims, and arbiter procedures can be adapted to the time control. In events with arbiters supervising, the common practice is that a first illegal move incurs a time penalty to the opponent and the position is corrected; a second illegal move by the same player may lose the game. Where supervision is lighter, local regulations can differ—always read the event sheet.

Bullet is primarily an online format. The server enforces the laws and flags instantly. In bullet, premove is standard; it allows you to queue a move during your opponent’s turn.

Over-the-Board vs Online: Platform Differences

Chess.com Rules Differences and Lichess Rules Differences

Both major platforms enforce legal move generation strictly—no illegal castles, no moving into check.
En passant, promotion, stalemate, threefold repetition, and 50/75-move rules are enforced automatically.
Premove rules chess: Online, you can premove a response; it executes instantly when it becomes legal. Premove does not permit illegal moves; if your premove becomes illegal due to your opponent’s move, it is canceled.
Some platform settings allow automatic queen promotion; you can change this to confirm promotions or set underpromotion defaults.

Disconnects and Fair Play

Online platforms adjudicate disconnects by time forfeit if not reconnected in time. Over the board, clocks run whether you’re at the board or not.

Tournament and Federation Rules: FIDE vs US Chess

Federations publish detailed rulebooks. Events usually specify which ruleset they follow.

FIDE Laws of Chess

Governs world events and most international tournaments.
Defines touch-move, illegal move penalties, claim procedures, and automatic draw conditions such as fivefold repetition and the 75-move rule.
Arbiters can adjust clocks, reinstate positions after illegal moves, and enforce penalties up to game loss in cases of repeated or egregious violations.

US Chess Rules vs FIDE

US Chess rules align closely with FIDE but differ in some details, especially in time controls with delay, some tournament procedures, and how certain claims are processed.
In many US events, simple delay is common; FIDE events typically use increment time controls.
Some US tournaments have specific local rules that tweak claim procedures, mobile phone penalties, and default time.

Typical Differences Snapshot

Topic	FIDE Approach	US Chess Approach
Time Control	Increment favored	Delay common; increment also used
Automatic Draws	Fivefold repetition and 75-move auto-draw recognized	Often aligns; event rules may specify claim vs automatic
Illegal Move Penalty	First illegal move: time added to opponent and position corrected; second illegal by same player may lose	Similar in many events; details can vary with time control and supervision
Device Policy	Strict; a phone making noise can forfeit the game depending on event rules	Strict; penalties may vary by event, often severe

Arbiter Rules and Conduct

The arbiter is there to help, not to haunt you. Call them for disputes, claims, and irregularities. Do not argue with your opponent; stop the clock and call the arbiter.
Appeals: Many events provide an appeals committee. To appeal, file promptly, often with a fee that is refunded if your appeal is upheld. Appeals must be based on rules, not feelings about a position.

Notation Rules (Algebraic Notation)

You must record your moves in standard algebraic notation in classical and most rapid games. Blitz sometimes waives notation, depending on the event.

Elements of notation:

Files: a–h (left to right from White’s perspective). Ranks: 1–8 (bottom to top for White).
Pieces: K (king), Q (queen), R (rook), B (bishop), N (knight). Pawns have no letter.
Moves: piece letter + destination square (e.g., Nf3; e4 for a pawn).
Captures: “x” (e.g., Bxe6).
Check: “+”; checkmate: “#”.
Castling: O-O (kingside), O-O-O (queenside).
Promotion: e8=Q or e8=N, etc.
En passant: exd6 e.p. (rarely required to add e.p., but often included for clarity).

Default Time / No-Show Rules

Tournaments set a default time—arrive after that and you forfeit. It can range from zero to a fixed number of minutes. Always read your event’s schedule and be seated early, clock set correctly, scoresheets ready.

Mobile Phone Rules in a Chess Tournament

Silence is safety. If a phone rings or is used during play, penalties can be severe—ranging from warnings to immediate loss depending on the event. Keep devices off, out of sight, and never leave the playing hall with your phone on you if your event forbids it.

How to Handle Edge Cases Like a Pro

Castling Through Check Rules

The path matters. If any square the king crosses is attacked, castling is illegal. That includes the starting square if in check, the crossing square, and the landing square.

Can You Capture En Passant After Moving Two Squares?

Only immediately. If your opponent moves a pawn two squares and lands beside your pawn, you may capture en passant on the next move only.

Can a Pawn Move Backwards?

No. Pawns never move backward. They also cannot capture forward.

Can a Pawn Capture Forward?

No. Pawns capture diagonally forward one square only (except in en passant, which is still a diagonal capture).

Can You Castle After Moving the Rook?

Not with that rook. Once a rook moves, castling with that rook is permanently off the table.

Can You Castle if the King Has Moved?

No. Once the king moves, you lose castling rights on both sides for the rest of the game.

Can You Move Into Check?

Never. A king move that results in check is illegal. Castling into or through check is also illegal.

What Ends a Chess Game?

Checkmate
Stalemate (draw)
Draw by agreement
Draw by threefold or fivefold repetition (claim or automatic)
Draw by 50 or 75 move rule (claim or automatic)
Time forfeit (flag falls) if the opponent has mating material
Dead position (immediate draw)
Arbiter decision in rare irregularities or rule violations

Insider’s Section: Illegal Move Chaos and How to Stay Calm

Anyone who has sat in a tense blitz playoff knows the moment: your opponent reaches for the king, tries to castle through check, hits the clock. Your heart spikes. Here’s how to handle it like a veteran:

Freeze the position. Don’t move. Don’t let pieces shift.
Stop the clock.
Call the arbiter calmly.
Explain only the relevant facts: “Opponent castled while in check; it’s illegal.”
Let the arbiter restore the previous legal position, apply the penalty if appropriate, and resume.

In online chess, you’re spared most of this. The interface stops illegal moves. But endgame draw rules, repetition, and time scrambles still require logical thinking, not theatrics.

Endgame Reality Check: Insufficient Material Examples

King and bishop vs king: draw. You can’t force mate.
King and knight vs king: draw. You can’t force mate.
King and bishop vs king and bishop with bishops on the same color squares: draw by insufficient mating material. If bishops are on opposite colors, mate can be possible with the help of king activity—so not automatically insufficient if more material is present.
King and knight + bishop vs king: theoretically winning. If you don’t know the technique, practice; the corner matters.
King and rook vs king: theoretically winning, but time pressure creates blunders. The 50-move rule still applies if you shuffle too long.

Zugzwang: The Silent Squeeze

Zugzwang is a position where any move worsens your position. You don’t want to move, but you must. It’s common in endgames and explains why “doing nothing” with the right opposition or triangulation wins. Knowing the rules about legal moves and the obligation to move clarifies why zugzwang positions force collapses that would never happen if passing were allowed.

Kids’ Corner: Simple Chess Rules That Stick

Chess rules for kids should be clear, concrete, and visual. Here’s a version that coaches use in classrooms:

The goal: trap the king so it can’t escape (checkmate).
Pieces move their own special way; pawns go forward, capture diagonally, and can move two squares from the start.
Knights are jumpers; bishops move diagonally; rooks go straight; queens go any direction; kings go one square each time.
You can’t move your king into danger.
Special moves: castling helps your king hide; en passant is a surprise pawn capture; promotion turns your pawn into a powerful piece.
If nobody can move and nobody’s attacking the king, it’s a draw (stalemate).
Shake hands, say “good game,” and be kind. Etiquette is part of the rules.

Mini-quiz (verbal or worksheet-friendly):

Can a pawn move backward? (No.)
Can you castle while in check? (No.)
Can you have two queens? (Yes.)
What happens when your time runs out and your opponent has mating material? (You lose on time.)
Is stalemate a win? (No, it’s a draw.)

Printable Chess Rules Cheat Sheet

Use this as a handy, printable chess rules PDF-style summary.

Basic Chess Rules for Beginners — Step by Step

Set the board with a light square on your right.
White moves first; players alternate.
Move pieces by their rules; pawns move forward, capture diagonally.
You can’t move into check.
Special moves: castling, en passant, promotion.
Endings: checkmate wins; stalemate or draw rules end the game as a draw.
Use the clock correctly; press after you move.
Record moves in algebraic notation when required.
Touch-move applies; say j’adoube to adjust.
In disputes, stop the clock and call the arbiter.

Special Moves Snapshot

Castling: King two toward rook, rook jumps over. No checks along the way.
En Passant: Capture a pawn that just advanced two squares, as if only one—must be done immediately.
Promotion: Pawn that reaches last rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop, or knight.

Draw Rules at a Glance

Rule	What It Means	Claim or Automatic
Threefold repetition	Same position three times	Claim
Fivefold repetition	Same position five times	Automatic (FIDE)
50-move rule	No capture/no pawn move in last 50 moves	Claim
75-move rule	No capture/no pawn move in last 75 moves	Automatic (FIDE)
Insufficient material	Impossible to checkmate	Automatic
Stalemate	No legal move, not in check	Automatic

Tournament Toughness: Etiquette That Wins You Respect

Sit straight, be silent, and remain at your board during your opponent’s move.
Don’t analyze aloud or gesture.
Don’t distract, hover, or repeatedly offer draws.
If you adjust a piece, say j’adoube first.
If you need an arbiter, stop the clock, call clearly, and be concise.

Advanced Clarifications and Gray Areas Made Simple

Double check: only the king move can escape a double check; you cannot block or capture both checking pieces with one move.
Discoveries and pins: your responsibility to ensure the king isn’t exposed after a move that reveals a line.
Promotions that cause check: legal; promote to any piece, including knight for a surprise check or mate.
Illegal move after flag fall: the clock decides. If your opponent’s time runs out first and you have mating material, you win on time—even if your previous move was objectively poor but legal.

Online Fair Play: Practical Reminders

Premoves can cost you if your opponent makes a move that turns your premove into a blunder. The server won’t execute an illegal premove, but it will play a legal blunder instantly.
Lag doesn’t change the rules. Manage your time buffer; in increment games, use your increment to avoid losing to lag spikes.
Don’t accuse opponents of cheating in chat. Report through the platform; let fair-play teams handle it.

Study Notes: Learn the Rules With Purpose

Practice en passant with set positions until you no longer hesitate.
Drill castling restrictions: list three reasons you cannot castle in a position.
Train the mate with bishop and knight against king at least once; you’ll never forget the feeling.
Play a few games where you intentionally aim for stalemate techniques to learn counterintuitive saves.

Frequently Asked Clarifications

Can you have two queens in chess: Yes. Promote multiple pawns if you can.
Can a pawn capture forward: No. Only diagonally forward one square (or via en passant which is still diagonal).
Can pawns move two squares: Yes, only from their starting rank and only if unobstructed.
Can you castle after moving the rook: Not with that rook, ever.
Can you castle if the king has moved: Never.
Can you capture en passant after moving two squares: You can capture an enemy pawn that has just moved two squares, but only immediately.
Is stalemate a draw: Yes.
How to claim threefold repetition: Stop the clock on your move, call the arbiter, and present the position or your intended move that will create the third repetition.
What happens after an illegal move in blitz: Typically the position is reinstated and time penalties applied; a second illegal move by the same player may forfeit the game, depending on event oversight.
When is a game a dead draw: When no legal sequence can lead to checkmate—insufficient material or dead positions.
Can you checkmate with a knight and bishop: Yes, with correct technique.

Variants Note: Chess960 Castling Rules

Chess960 changes starting piece placement, but castling still exists with the same end squares: after castling, the king ends on the g-file for kingside and the c-file for queenside; the rook ends adjacent to the king on the f-file (kingside) or d-file (queenside). The path cannot pass through or land on attacked squares, and no pieces can stand between the king and rook’s destination squares. It feels strange at first; learn the end squares and the rest follows.

Printable Chess Piece Movement Chart

Piece	Moves	Captures	Notes
Pawn	One forward (two from start if clear)	One diagonally forward	En passant; promotion
Knight	Two plus one, L-shape	Same	Jumps over pieces
Bishop	Diagonally any distance	Same	One-color lifetime
Rook	Straight any distance	Same	Files/ranks; castling partner
Queen	Straight or diagonal any distance	Same	Strongest piece
King	One square any direction	Same	Castling; never into check

A Coach’s Perspective: Why Rules Create Confidence

Players who truly internalize the rules develop a quiet authority at the board. They know when to stop the clock and call the arbiter. They know that their opponent can’t castle out of check and won’t waste energy arguing. They recognize a threefold repetition opportunity without counting on luck. They squeeze out fortress draws by heading straight for a dead position. Most importantly, they conserve mental energy for calculation—not for second-guessing basic procedure.

That, in truth, is the gift of rules: clarity. Clarity buys you time, confidence, and—oddly enough—creativity. The moment you’re no longer worried about whether a move is legal, you’re free to explore whether it’s beautiful.

Closing Thoughts: Own the Rules, Own Your Game

Chess rules and moves are the grammar of a language that can say more with silence than most games say with noise. Learn them cleanly—the simple chess rules, the tricky edges like en passant and castling restrictions, the draw rules that decide marathons—and you’ll play with a different posture. You’ll use the clock like a scalpel instead of a bomb. You’ll treat illegal move chaos like a paperwork error, not a personal affront. And you’ll carry a small, printable chess rules cheat sheet in your bag not because you need it every round, but because it reminds you that mastery doesn’t come from magic. It comes from knowing the ground you’re standing on.

Appendix: Tournament-Grade Reference Blocks

Illegal Moves and Penalties (Summary)

Illegal king move (into or through check): retract, correct, apply time penalty per event rules.
Illegal castle: retract, correct, apply penalty if applicable.
Illegal promotion: correct the promoted piece, adjust notation if needed.
Touch-move breach: move the touched piece if legal; otherwise, arbitral ruling.

Draw Rules in Chess (Quick Matrix)

Rule	Trigger	Who Acts
Threefold repetition	Same position three times	Player claims
Fivefold repetition	Same position five times	Automatic (FIDE)
50-move rule	50 moves without capture or pawn move	Player claims
75-move rule	75 moves without capture or pawn move	Automatic (FIDE)
Insufficient material	No possible checkmate	Automatic
Stalemate	Side to move has no legal move, not in check	Automatic

Etiquette Essentials

Say j’adoube before adjusting pieces.
Stop the clock to call the arbiter.
No phone sounds, no analysis at the board, no hovering opponents.
Respect time controls: press the clock properly, keep scores accurately when required.

If you teach, coach, or direct, feel free to convert the cheat sheet and piece chart into a printable chess rules PDF for your students or club. If you compete, tuck a copy into your bag. Either way, carry the rules with you—on paper, in your head, and in your posture at the board. That’s how you turn a game into a craft.