Chess Piece Specifications
Each chess player starts the game with 16 pieces at his command. Each piece has different moves and abilities. Some are worth more than others in terms of power and effectiveness. A player must master how to use every piece to be competitive in a game of chess.
Other People Are Reading
-
King
-
Each player must protect his King while seeking to checkmate the opponent's King. The King starts the game in the on the right side of the two middle squares on the back row. It can only move one square at a time, in any direction, and takes pieces in the same way unless that other piece is the opposing King. A King can't move within one space of another King. The early stages of chess are usually spent building up effective defenses around the King.
Queen
-
The Queen is the most powerful piece. It can move horizontally or diagonally through open squares for any number of spaces. It can take pieces in the same fashion. It is a significant advantage to take the enemy Queen without losing your own. The only time the Queen should ever be sacrificed is if you exchange it for the opposing Queen. The Queen starts the game next to the King, on its own colored square in the middle of the back row.
-
Rook
-
Rooks are the castle-shaped pieces that start the game in the corners of the board. Each player has two rooks. Rooks can move through open squares in straight lines, and as such can control whole rows and take pieces from a great distance. They are best suited to the endgame, when the board is open enough for them to move around freely.
Bishop
-
Bishops are the pieces traditionally shaped like a bishop's hat, which start the game between the Knights and the King and Queen. They move diagonally through open squares with no limits. Bishops are typically seen as equals to Knights, but the Bishop is more powerful in the open board of the endgame because it can cover more space than a Knight.
Knight
-
Knights are the horse-shaped pieces that start the game just inside of each Rook on the back rank. They move in an L-shape, going two squares then sideways one square in any direction. Knights can jump over other pieces to unoccupied squares. Knights are more useful in the early stages of a game, when the board is more crowded. It can get off the back row easier and launch attacks faster than the other major pieces.
Pawn
-
The Pawn is the foot soldier of the chess board. Each player starts the game with eight pawns, one in front of each of his more powerful pieces on the back rank. Pawns can move two squares straight forward on their first move, provided they are moving through open squares, but thereafter can only move one square forward at a time. They can only take pieces by moving diagonally to occupy the enemy's square. If a Pawn makes it all the way to the opposition's back row, it can be promoted to become any other piece.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images
