The Primary Objective
When you directly attack your opponent's king, they are in check. Your opponent can continue on if:
- They can block the attack/check.
- They can move the king to safety.
- They can capture the attacking/checking piece.
If your opponent is unable to do any of those three things, it is checkmate and the opponent loses. So, the primary objective of any chess game is to checkmate your opponent, while you avoid getting checkmated.
Special Moves
There are few spcial moves in chess that seem pretty unusual, especially when you see your opponent make them. For instance, you can:
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Move your pawn two squares forward for the pawn's first move only. After the first move, pawns can only move one square forward.
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Take your opponent's pawn with your pawn en passant (in passing). If your opponent moves their pawn two squares forward and lands directly to the left or right of your pawns, you can capture that opponent's pawn.
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Castling allows you to swap positions with your king and rook, if:
- there are no pieces in between the king and rook
- your king is NOT in check nor will he pass through check
- your king and rook have NOT moved already.
