A Guide to Chess Pieces for Dummies
The board is a sixty-four square board like a checker board. Many chess boards are colored to match the opposing pieces with white and black being the most common. The board is oriented with a white square in the corner at each player’s right.
The most common pieces on the board are pawns. Each player has eight of them. Pawns are always the shortest pieces on the board also. Pawns are arranged in each of the eight squares going from side to side on the board that make up the second row from each player. The row closest to each player will receive all of the larger pieces.
Pawns serve two basic purposes. They guard the king row and have the ability to become any piece on the board if able to reach the opposite end of the board. Most people will designate them as a queen because she is the most powerful piece on the board.
Pawns move forward one space at a time across the board. There are only three exceptions to this. On a pawn’s first move of the game, it may be moved two squares. This is only possible on the very first move of any given pawn and is done at the discretion of the player. Pawns may move forward on a diagonal to the left or right to attack an opposing piece occupying that square. The pawn would then continue its forward movement one square at a time.
A little used move called “en passant” is employed by a pawn when it is two rows from the opposing pawn’s original position. If the opposing player chooses to move his pawn two squares on the first move, this will bring the pawn to the square beside the first pawn. Had the player only moved his pawn one square, the first pawn could have attacked. Because of the double move, it is not possible. At this point, the first pawn can move diagonally to the square behind the opposing pawn as if the pawn had only moved one space. The second pawn is captured and removed from the board. The first pawn continues to move forward one square at a time.
The first row of the board is occupied by the other pieces. On each corner, is a piece called a castle or more commonly a rook. Rooks are held in place behind the pawn row until a pawn is moved forward enough to allow it to exit its position. The rook moves in straight lines forward and side ways. It may move any number of squares at one time as long it only travels one way. No zigzags are allowed.
The rook can attack any opposing piece in a direct unobstructed line from it. If it is moving to attack, the rook travels until it reaches the piece being attacked. The piece is removed from the board, and the rook takes over its former position.
Only one variation is allowed to the way that a rook moves. If either rook and the king have not been moved from their original square and the squares between them are unoccupied, you may “castle.” Castling requires the king to move two spaces in the direction of the designated rook. The rook is then placed on the first square on the opposite side of the king. This move allows more protection for the king if the middle pawns have been removed. It can also be a way for the rook to be able to exit the first row of the board without disturbing the pawns on that rook’s side of the board.
Next to the rook is the knight. This piece looks like a horse’s head. The knight has the distinction of having the most unusual way of moving and being the only piece that can jump over other pieces that are in its path. It can be moved from the king row without moving a pawn. The knight moves two spaces in one direction and one space perpendicular to its path. The effect is sort of an “L.”
The knight attacks only the piece the sits on the final square of its sequence. Being able to jump pieces with an unusual move sequence, gives the knight a bit of sneak attack property. The unskilled player will often be surprised by a sudden “check” from an opposing player after a knight is moved.
Three squares from the corner and next to the knight is the bishop. It is a pointed piece about the same size as a rook. The bishop is the most limited of the primary fighting pieces. It can only move on a diagonal. One bishop sits on white and one on black. For the duration of the game they are known by the color they are restricted to move on.
The bishop has an advantage that it can exit the king row with only a one-space move by a pawn. This opens the diagonal for its color. Like rooks, bishops can move any number of squares at one time but cannot zigzag. They also attack the same way as a rook and take over the square occupied by the opposing piece that is captured.
In the center of the row, stand the king and queen side by side. The queen always starts the game sitting on her own color. She is the most powerful piece on the board. The queen combines the moves of the rook and bishop into one piece. Because of her ability to move in any direction on a given move, the queen becomes a primary target to be captured by the opposition.
The capturing of a queen will often turn the game into a route by the player who successfully removed her from his opponent’s arsenal. Since the queen becomes such an immediate target as soon as she is moved into action, many players reserve playing their queen until their strategies are well-developed, or a small lead has been built on the opponent. The queen captures pieces the same way as a rook and bishop.
The final piece on the board is the king. The king and queen both wear crowns, but the king will always be the tallest piece on the chess board. Chess is all about protecting your king while trying to capture your opponent’s king. The king is the most limited of the primary fighting pieces. Kings can move only one square at a time except to “castle.” He can move in any direction. If a piece is unfortunate enough to end up adjacent to the king, the king can attack and capture the piece if the player desires it. The king can be put into danger but is never captured. He is in “check” when his capture is imminent if he does not move. As long as he can be safely moved out of check, the game continues.
“Checkmate” occurs when the king cannot move out of one place of potential capture without moving into another. Checkmate ends the game. If the king is put into a place where he is the only piece that can be moved, and he is safe where he sits but movement into any square around him would result in his capture, the game is at a “stalemate.” This is an official tie because the king cannot move into a “check” situation. The game ends in a tie.
