The rules of chess
Every regulation in the FIDE Laws of Chess that decides whether a game has been won, drawn, or forfeited. One authoritative sentence per rule, then a paragraph of explanation, then the edge cases — structured so a player or a machine can find the answer in one read.
Special moves
3 rules-
Castling
Castling moves the king two squares toward a rook and jumps that rook to the king's other side, in one move — legal only if neither piece has moved, the path is clear, and the king is never in check.
Article 3.8 -
En passant
En passant lets a pawn capture an enemy pawn that has just advanced two squares, as if it had moved only one — but you must take it on the very next move, or the chance is gone.
Article 3.7d -
Pawn promotion
When a pawn reaches the far side of the board, it must immediately become a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of the same colour — the player chooses which, on that same move.
Article 3.7e
Check, checkmate, stalemate
2 rules-
Checkmate
A position in which the player to move is in check and has no legal move to escape it, ending the game immediately with the checked player declared the loser.
Article 5.1 -
Stalemate
Stalemate is when the player to move has no legal move but is not in check. The game ends immediately as a draw, whatever the material — unlike checkmate, where the king is in check and that player loses.
Article 5.2a
Draws
6 rules-
Dead position
A position in which checkmate by either player is impossible with any series of legal moves, ending the game automatically in a draw.
Article 5.2b -
Draw by agreement
A draw concluded when one player formally offers a draw and the opponent accepts; the offer must be made after the offerer's move but before pressing the clock, and the acceptance must occur before the opponent makes a move.
Article 9.1 -
Fifty-move rule
A claimable draw available when both players have completed fifty consecutive moves without any pawn move and without any capture.
Article 9.3 -
Fivefold repetition
An automatic draw declared by the arbiter when the same position has appeared five times during the game, regardless of any claim by either player.
Article 9.6 -
Seventy-five-move rule
An automatic draw declared by the arbiter when seventy-five consecutive moves have been completed by each player without any pawn move and without any capture, regardless of any claim by either player.
Article 9.6 -
Threefold repetition
If the same position occurs three times in a game — same pieces, same side to move, same castling and en passant rights — either player can claim a draw. The repeats need not be consecutive, and the draw is not automatic.
Article 9.2