Boards & Equipment
What is a first board in chess?
- Board
- Pieces
- Coordinates
First board is a board or equipment term: in team chess, the player who is assigned to face the strongest opponents. Also called top board and board one. Second board faces the next strongest players, followed by third board, and so on. Generally board assignments must be made before the competition begins. Players may not switch boards, although reserve players are often allowed as substitutes. You use this term to describe the board accurately, which matters for notation, coordinates, and analysis.
first board FAQ
What is a first board in chess?
First board is a board or equipment term: in team chess, the player who is assigned to face the strongest opponents. Also called top board and board one. Second board faces the next strongest players, followed by third board, and so on. Generally board assignments must be made before the competition begins. Players may not switch boards, although reserve players are often allowed as substitutes. You use this term to describe the board accurately, which matters for notation, coordinates, and analysis.
Train this pattern on your own games
Reading a definition is not the same as spotting the pattern with a clock running. Chessiro's free game review runs Stockfish 18 over every move you play, names the concept behind each mistake, and turns the positions where it cost you into training puzzles. You can also see the idea in action in the classic games collection, where the greatest players in history demonstrate it.
Free game review
See where first board decides your games
Chessiro reviews your games with an AI coach that names the concept behind every mistake, then drills you on the exact positions where it happened until you stop repeating them.
