[virxen]

this will help you a lot

import java.util.Scanner;

public class ChessMovement{
    private int board [][];//you will make it a char array and you 'll put instead of 1's, a char for each chess piece
    public ChessMovement(){
        board=new int[8][8];
        for (char i='A';i<='H';i++){
            for (char j='1';j<='2';j++) board[getRow(j)][getCol(i)]=1;
            for (char j='7';j<='8';j++) board[getRow(j)][getCol(i)]=1;
        }
        printBoard();
    Scanner in=new Scanner(System.in);
    String move="";
        while(!move.equals("exit")){
            System.out.print("enter a move:");
            move=in.nextLine();
            if(isValidMove(move)) 
                printBoard();
                else 
                    if (!move.equals("exit")) System.out.println("illegal move!!!");
        }
    }
    public static void main(String args[]){
        new ChessMovement();
    }
    private boolean isValidMove(String move){
        move=move.trim().toUpperCase();//remove spaces from start and end of movement
        if (move.length()!=8) return false;//movement must have 8 characters
        
        String temp[]=move.split(" TO ");//movement must have a " TO " to separate the from To where
        if (temp.length!=2) return false;//movement must have both from and where statements
        String from=temp[0];
        String where=temp[1];
        if (from.length()!=2 || where.length()!=2) return false;//from and where must have length=2 ->(E1)
        char first=from.charAt(0);
        if (first<'A' || first>'H') return false;//from must start with a letter from A-H
        char second=from.charAt(1);
        if (second<'1' || second>'8') return false;//from must have a number after the letter from 1-8
        char firstW=where.charAt(0);
        if (firstW<'A' || firstW>'H') return false;//where must start with a letter from A-H
        char secondW=where.charAt(1);
        if (secondW<'1' || secondW>'8') return false;//where must have a number after the letter from 1-8
        //now we have the appropriate format we want!!!
        //lets fill the array
        //first,second--->A,1
        if (board[getRow(second)][getCol(first)]==0) return false;//no piece there ,illegal move
        if (board[getRow(secondW)][getCol(firstW)]==1) return false;//there is a piece there ,illegal move
        board[getRow(second)][getCol(first)]=0;
        board[getRow(secondW)][getCol(firstW)]=1;
        return true;
    }
    private int getCol(char letter){
            return ((int)letter-'A');        
    }
    private int getRow(char number){
        return 7-((int)number-'1');
    }
    private void printBoard(){
        for (int i=0;i<8;i++){
            System.out.print(""+(8-i)+"|");
            for(int j=0;j<8;j++)
                System.out.print(board[i][j]+"|");
                System.out.println(" ");
                System.out.println("------------------");
        }
        System.out.print("  ");
        for(char j='A';j<='H';j++)
                System.out.print(j+" ");
                System.out.println(" ");
    }
}