Kings - With movements that are much more limited in scope, the King is simultaneously the most valuable and one of the weakest pieces on a chess board.Queens - Queens are thought of as one of the most powerful pieces on the board thanks to their movement capabilities they can move any number of vacant squares in any direction, including diagonally.Bishops - Bishops can move any number of vacant squares diagonally on whichever color that they start out on.They're also permitted to jump over occupied squares so long as it ends in a capture or on a vacant square. Simply put, Knights can move either two spaces in any direction-save for diagonally-and then one space in any cardinal direction or one space in any direction-save diagonally-and then two spaces in any cardinal direction. Knights - Knights' movements are iconic because of their weird patterning they can move in an 'L' shape in a 2-1 or 1-2 fashion.Rooks - Rooks are allowed to move any number of vacant spaces in any direction except for diagonally.In terms of capturing, pawns are permitted to move one space forward diagonally to capture an opponent's piece. Pawns - Aside from the opening move, pawns can only move one space forward per turn.Combine these movements together in a strategic fashion, and you'll be able to dominate the center of the board and win the game: Each player can move any other of their Pawns two spaces one time on that Pawn’s first move.Every chess piece has its own unique set of rules and regulations for what type of movements it's permitted to make. The Pawn can only move forward a single space and can only capture diagonally. If the Pawn reaches the very back rank of the enemy field, it can transform into any piece except for the King. The Pawn is the one piece that can change its value throughout the game. What Is the Pawn’s Value?Įach player has eight Pawns, and each Pawn is worth one point. The first chess pieces were named shah (king), fil (bishop), rukh (rook), wazir (counsellor), asp (knight), and piyade (pawn) in India, the birthplace of chess. The Pawn is the most common piece you’ll see on the chessboard and becomes more valuable as the game continues. The Knight moves in an L or Y shape pattern in all directions. The Knight is unique because it moves by jumping over pieces instead of sliding around the chessboard. The Knight has the most interesting movement out of all the chess pieces. Chess is played with six different types of pieces: the pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, and king. You’ll rarely see a Knight at the edges of the chessboard. Knights should stay near the center of the board to support and defend pieces as effectively as possible. The Knight, like the Bishop, has a three-point value. What Is the Knight’s Value?Įach player will have two Knights. The Knight and the Bishop may not move the same, but both can create excellent positions for chess players. When creating chess sets, the Knight and Queen have the most detail and attention put into creating them. The Knight is one of the most well-known pieces. You’ll never have both of your Bishops on the same color tile. You will always have one Bishop on a white tile and the other on a black tile. The Bishop has complete diagonal movement across the board. Bishops can make strong plays across the board and are most powerful when they’re at the center of the board. What Is the Bishop’s Value?Įach player has two Bishops, and each Bishop has a three-point value. For transparency, the Bishop is above the Knight because one has to come before, but both pieces have advantages and disadvantages.

Depending on whom you ask, the Bishop is more valuable than the Knight. The Bishop and Knight are in a strange position.

The names of the chess pieces