...just start playing! You’ll come up with your own strategies as you play, and it will be more challenging and rewarding. Then when you aren’t a beginner anymore, you can ask someone for futher advice.
But keep going, chess is nice when you get into it! But it takes a lot of patiens! (A bit more than I usually have. =D)

swirlygirl:

Just do a goggle search for free chess games, or chess clubs. Yahoo and AOL have chess sites. They are even chess playing engines that can give you hints as you play against the computer.

I have been playing for years and have been playing on-line for quite some time. Depending on how serious you want to take this, there may be chess clubs in your neighborhood or city.

Good luck with that.

P-K4, (e4)

Geo :)

As Mantsikka said, if you know how the pieces move, you know how to play the game. Now just find someone else who also knows how to play the game. Preferably not some guru who is too far in advance of your abilities, but also not someone who is no challenge for you. Try some of the online chess playing sites, download a program, or go down to the local library or park and bring your board and pieces. A lot of those little old guys who play there are really quite good, and most of them are very friendly, too…

buy a book!
microsoft press has afew good ones in print.