The Complete Guide Using dArk White King BaNneR
Setting up a chessboard is one of the most common stumbling blocks for beginners.
Most guides give you a list of disconnected rules:
- “Queen on her colour”
- “Knights next to the rooks”
- “Light square on the right”
…but none of these explain the logic behind the chess starting position.
This guide gives you a single phrase that unlocks the entire chess setup:
dArk White King BaNneR
It works whether you want the rules fast or you want to understand the deeper structure of the chess board layout.
TLDR — Quick Chess Setup Guide
1. dArk
A1 is dark.
2. White King
The White king goes on a dark square.
The queen goes on her own colour.
3. BaNneR
To the right of the king:
Bishop, Knight, Rook (B N R)
4. Symmetry
The other B N R pieces go to the king’s left (the queen side) by symmetry,
and the entire set of pieces is mirrored across the king.
5. Pawns
Pawns go directly in front of the pieces of the same colour.
That’s the whole setup.
Why This Method Works
The chessboard is built on a simple, elegant structure:
- The board alternates colours
- The king and queen follow colour logic
- The pieces around the king form a pattern
- That pattern is mirrored across the king
The phrase dArk White King BaNneR encodes all of this.
1. dArk — How to Work Out Any Square’s Colour
The mnemonic tells you that A1 is dark:
dArk → A1 is dark
Now look at its coordinates:
- File A = 1
- Rank = 1
- 1 + 1 = 2
From this we get the derived rule:
dark = even
You can now find the colour of any square by adding its file and rank:
- Even → dark
- Odd → light
Examples:
- C6 → 3 + 6 = 9 → light
- F4 → 6 + 4 = 10 → dark
This is the complete system for determining square colours.
2. White King — The King Goes on a Dark Square
Once you know A1 is dark, the colour pattern is fixed.
White’s king always starts on a dark square.
So:
White King → king on dark
And because the king and queen stand next to each other:
Queen → queen on her own colour
This places the royal pair instantly.
3. BaNneR — What Goes to the King’s Right
To the king’s right, the pieces always appear in this order:
Bishop, Knight, Rook
B N R
The real word BaNneR contains those letters in order:
- B a N ne R
So:
BaNneR → B N R to the king’s right
4. Symmetry — What Goes to the King’s Left
Chess is symmetrical.
Once you know the BaNneR sits to the king’s right:
The other B N R pieces go to the king’s left (the queen side) by symmetry, and the entire set of pieces is mirrored across the king.
This gives you:
- R N B on the left
- B N R on the right
- One bishop on each colour
- Matching knights
- Matching rooks
The full back rank becomes:
R N B Q K B N R
You did not memorise it —
you derived it.
5. Pawns — The Simple Rule
Pawns go directly in front of the pieces of the same colour.
White’s pieces → rank 1
White’s pawns → rank 2
Black’s pieces → rank 8
Black’s pawns → rank 7
Done.
Full Summary (Skimmable)
PHRASE:
dArk White King BaNneR
BOARD ORIENTATION:
dArk → A1 is dark
dark = even
SQUARE COLOURS:
Add file + rank
Even → dark
Odd → light
ROYAL PIECES:
White King → king on dark
Queen → queen on her own colour
RIGHT SIDE OF KING:
BaNneR → B N R
Bishop, Knight, Rook
LEFT SIDE OF KING:
Symmetry → R N B
Rook, Knight, Bishop
Entire set of pieces mirrored across the king
FULL BACK RANK:
R N B Q K B N R
PAWNS:
Pawns go directly in front of the pieces of the same colour
