Rules Governing the Movement of the Various Chess Pieces

Known as vital principles of chess, the movements of the different chess pieces play a very important role in the character of the game. It is necessary for people to memorize these things before they could start playing competitive chess. These closely intertwined aspects are the very essence of what chess is really all about. People can always start on the right foot by understanding how every chess piece moves.

Chess pieces can be categorized into six different entities. Kings, queens, and rooks are the three highest-ranking pieces in chess. Knights, bishops, and pawns closely follow them. Although some of these pieces share something, each of them has certain moves that are distinctively unique from one another. Take for instance the case of queens and bishops. These two pieces may both move diagonally but queens possess something which bishops cannot do, which is to move vertically and horizontally.

Another important thing that people must remember before playing chess is to differentiate one chess piece from the other. Let us start with the basic move of a king in chess. Despite being the most important chess piece, a king lacks the mobility and versatility to move around the chessboard. The moves of this chess piece are limited to a single square. It can move diagonally, vertically, and horizontally but by a single space only.

The second most important chess piece is the queen. Unlike the king, this chess piece has the gift of versatility and mobility. Aside from being able to move diagonally, vertically, and horizontally, this powerful chess piece can also move in multiple blocks in any single move. It can run from top to bottom and from left to right in one full swing. Players treasure this piece as it can almost capture anything that blocks its path.

The rook is the third best chess piece after the queen and king. It ranks slightly higher than a knight and a bishop. However, it does trail the queen and king in terms of value. Its moves are limited to vertical and horizontal maneuvers. It can also move in multiple blocks as long as it adheres to its nature. It lacks the capacity to move in diagonal motions. This piece is a vital part of castling, which is one of the special moves in chess.

The knight is quite an interesting figure. Its ability to jump over the other pieces makes it unique. Furthermore, it also has a distinctive 'L' move. After moving two straight blocks, it moves one block sideways thus creating an 'L' motion. Meanwhile, the bishop moves diagonally. Each player is provided with two bishops, which cannot swerve to a different colored lane.

The pawn is unique. As its initial move, it can advance two spaces. After that, the succeeding moves are limited to one forward square. As the same time, a pawn cannot move backwards. Once it reached the opposite end of the board, this piece can be promoted to a higher rank depending on the discretion of the player who controls it.