Excited to learn the chess game? Do you think a person has to be super intelligent to master the game? If yes, then it is your misconception. You just have to learn the basics, including chess pieces, moves, and values. Moreover, to give an extra boost to your chess learning process, you can join a professional chess training program. Kaabil Kids, an online chess coaching platform with 20 years of experience, offers beginner to expert-level courses. You can join here and start your chess learning journey.
However, it is important to be aware of the fundamentals of the game. Let’s start with learning the chess pieces and their moves.
Overview Of The Chess Pieces
The chess pieces are game pieces that are placed on a chessboard for playing the game. The chessboard has 64 squares with 32 pieces on it. The White and Black each have 16 pieces to start the game. Once the game starts progressing, both White and Black will start losing their pieces, and each side will start gaining advantages from the game. You will find six different types of chess pieces. Each of the sides will start with 16 pieces. The types of pieces are:
- Pawn – 8
- Bishops – 2
- Knights – 2
- Rooks – 2
- Queen – 1
- King – 1
How Does The Chess Pieces Move?
Keep in mind that different chess pieces move in different directions. You must know how each piece will move. The experts at Kaabil Kids will help you learn the moves of every piece in their professional chess training classes. Here are the directions explained for each chess piece.
- King – It will move one square in any direction.
- Queen – This piece can move any number of squares in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal directions.
- Knight – This specific piece moves in an ‘L-shape’. It will proceed with two squares straightly and one square in a perpendicular direction
- Pawn – This piece moves one square forward. However, on its first move, it will move two squares ahead and capture one square in a diagonal direction.
- Rook – It moves any preferred number of squares in the horizontal and vertical direction.
- Bishop – It can also move any number of squares but only in a diagonal direction.
Let’s understand each of the chess pieces in more detail.
The Pawns
Once the game starts, each side will start with their eight pawns. Black pawns are placed on the 7th rank, while white pawns are on the 2nd rank. Keep in mind that this chess piece is the least powerful piece. When it moves first, you can make it move one or two squares forward.
The pawn has some special features. It can be converted into any piece except the King if it reaches the board’s opposite end. En Passant is another special move of the pawn where it moves in a diagonal direction on an empty square. It will further capture the pawn located at the adjacent square with the adjacent pawn.
The King
The king is considered the most important part of the chessboard. All the checkmates and other strategies of the game are mainly based on protecting their own king and defeating the opponent’s king. Once you succeed in trapping the opponent’s King, it is known as a checkmate, which means you are the winner of the game.
No specific value is assigned to the King. So, many experts believe that the King’s value is infinite. The King is always placed in the first rank with the right side of the Queen on the chessboard.
The Queen
The Queen is the most powerful chess piece after the king and has the highest value of 9 points. It is a long-range that holds the power to move in every direction but is restricted to jumping over any piece. However, it can cover any number of squares. It is necessary to move the queen watchfully in the game.
Kaabil Kids will teach you to master the queen in the game strategically. It is advised not to bring out the queen early in the game as it can be easily attacked by the opponent in the beginning.
The Bishop
The Bishop is a long-ranged piece that will move in a diagonal direction, and it will cover any number of squares as it wishes without jumping over any piece. However, it has the power to capture any piece on its way. Every side that is White and Black will have two Bishops. The Queenside Bishop is in between the Queenside Knight and Queen. Meanwhile, the Kingside Bishop holds its place between the Kingside Knight and the King.
The Knight
The Knight symbolises the horse in the game, and it is shaped like a horse. It holds the special power to jump over any chess piece and move two or a half squares forward, sideways, or behind. It is strategically placed at the centre of the square.
The Rook
The Rook is the elephant-shaped chess piece on the board, which has 5 points. It is a long-range piece that moves in a straight direction horizontally and vertically. The king’s rook participates in a king-side castle with the king, where it jumps two spaces, and the rook participating in a queen-side castle can jump three spaces.
Final Thoughts
The above information is a comprehensive guide to understanding the chess pieces and their moves. In professional chess training, you can learn these both theoretically and practically under the guidance of experts. Get in touch with Kaabil Kids and join their chess coaching classes to learn everything more thoroughly.
