How to Draw Chess

Time needed: 30 minutes

How to Draw Chess

1. Draw the base of the chessboard.

   Every drawing of chess or other similar games needs a clear base, because the board is the foundation where all other elements will be placed. To set this up, sketch a large square in perspective. Inside this square, add another smaller square, leaving a frame around it. This will become the playing area.

2. Draw the chess grid.

   The purpose of this stage is to create the 8×8 grid of the chessboard. Inside the smaller square, sketch evenly spaced vertical and horizontal lines. This will divide the area into 64 squares, which is standard for a chess game.

3. Sketch the row of pawns.

   Once the grid is ready, you can illustrate the first chess pieces. The pawns form the front row for both players, so draw a line of small rounded pieces across the second row from each side. Place each pawn in the center of a square. A pawn is usually drawn as a small column with a circular top.

4. Draw the knight figures on the chessboard.

   The chessboard looks more complete once you start placing the major pieces, starting with knights. These pieces stand beside the rooks, one square inward. In chess drawings like this one, knights are often simplified into horse-shaped figures. A curved top or a small notch can help convey the horse’s head.

5. Sketch the bishop pieces.

   After the knights, add the bishops, which sit directly next to them toward the center. Bishops are taller and slimmer than knights, so sketch them with a narrow body and a rounded top. To illustrate the bishop’s unique look, you can draw a small line or dot at the top.

6. Place the kings and queens.

   Now, place the kings and queens in the center. Remember the rule: the queen always goes on her own color. This means the white queen is placed on a light square and the black queen on a dark square, directly opposite each other. The kings occupy the remaining central squares.

7. Add the rooks in the corners.

   In this step, draw the rooks at each of the four corners of the board. These are the castle-shaped pieces, so sketch them as slightly larger blocks compared to the pawns, with a flat top and a small notch to covey the battlement design. Check that they stand taller than the pawns.

8. Correct proportions and finalize the setup.

   With all pieces of your sketch are placed, go back over your lines and adjust proportions, if necessary. Trace the outlines of the chessboard and pieces. If any pieces look tilted, correct their vertical alignment so they stand straight on the squares. This is also the stage to add small details, if they were missed.

9. Color the chessboard and pieces.

   And now, fill the squares of the grid alternately with dark and light tones to create the classic checkerboard pattern. Next, color one side’s pieces darker to represent the black set, while leaving the opposite side lighter for the white set.