How does the rook move?
The rook is the only piece that is just as strong in a corner as in the middle. On an empty board it always attacks exactly 14 squares, wherever you put it.
It moves in straight lines. It goes up, down, left or right, for as many empty squares as you want.
- A rook can never move diagonally. A diagonal is a slanting line of squares that all share one colour.
- It cannot jump over any piece, its own or the other player's.
- It captures by landing on the square of the piece it takes.
How does the bishop move?
The bishop moves along diagonals, for as many empty squares as you want.
- A bishop can never move in a straight line up or across.
- It cannot jump over anything.
- It stays on one colour of square for the whole game.
That last point matters. A bishop that starts on a light square will only ever stand on light squares. Half the board is closed to it forever. This is why a pair of bishops, one light and one dark, works so well together.
How does the queen move?
The queen moves like a rook and a bishop joined together. She goes any number of empty squares in a straight line or along a diagonal.
- She cannot jump over anything.
- She cannot move like a knight.
From the middle of an empty board the queen covers 27 squares. That is why she is worth about nine pawns, more than a rook and a bishop together. Do not bring her out in the first few moves. The other player will chase her with knights and bishops. Every time she runs away, they get a free move to bring out another piece.
How does the king move?
The king moves one square in any direction: forward, backward, sideways or diagonally.
- The king may never move onto a square that is attacked.
- The two kings may never stand next to each other.
- The king captures like any other piece, as long as the piece it takes is not guarded.
The king has one special move called castling. It moves the king two squares towards a rook, and the rook jumps to the other side. Castling has its own rules and its own page.
In an endgame the king becomes one of your strongest pieces. Once most pieces are gone there is little left to attack it, so walk it up the board.
How does the knight move?
The knight moves in an L shape: two squares in one direction, then one square to the side. It has up to eight squares to choose from.
- The knight is the only piece that jumps. Pieces in the way do not stop it.
- It captures only the piece standing on the square it lands on. It does not take anything it jumps over.
- Every jump changes the colour of the square it stands on.
A knight in the middle of the board reaches eight squares. A knight in the corner reaches only two. That is the whole reason for the old advice about keeping knights near the centre.
How does the pawn move?
The pawn is the only piece that captures in a different way from how it moves.
- It moves one square straight forward, onto an empty square.
- On its very first move it may go one or two squares forward.
- It captures one square forward on the diagonal, to the left or the right.
- It can never move backwards, and it can never move sideways.
A pawn that is blocked by any piece, even an enemy pawn, simply cannot move. When a pawn reaches the far end of the board it is promoted. You take it off and put a queen, rook, bishop or knight on that square.
Which chess piece is the strongest?
The queen is the strongest, and these numbers are the usual guide.
- Pawn: 1
- Knight: 3
- Bishop: 3
- Rook: 5
- Queen: 9
The king has no number, because you can never trade it. Use the numbers to judge a swap, but remember that position beats points. A knight sitting in the middle of the board, safe from pawns, can be worth more than a rook stuck behind its own pieces.