How Chess Pieces Move

Are you just starting to play chess and don’t know yet what moves the pieces can make? This is the only guide you need, the most complete guide to the pieces and how they move in chess.

For starters, we suggest you check The Chess Pieces for Newbies (Names & Values) to get a reminder about basic things for the chess pieces, like names and values. You must learn that not all chess pieces are the same. The chess pieces have different names, because they have too different values! Learn it by heart, and you will be fine to start on chess moves!

• How the Chess Pieces Move
• Rook Moves
• Knight Moves
• Bishop Moves
• Pawn Moves
• Queen Moves
• King Moves
• About this Guide

How the Chess Pieces Move

This complete guide about how to move the chess pieces will fit perfectly with How to Set Up a Chessboard | Step-by-Step Guide to fully understand your chess pieces.

Rooks, knights, bishops, pawns, queens and kings, each of these pieces serves a different role in a chess game. We will look at what makes each piece unique from the other pieces and, also, specific situations where they are at their peak when attacking.

Some pieces even have special moves! Discover in this comprehensive guide how each piece travels through the chessboard, by lines, diagonals, and more. Learn how they attack and capture each other and, in general, how to smartly move your pieces to win your chess games.

Rook Moves

Rooks move in any direction as long as it’s a straight line. This is as long as there is no piece obstructing its path. It is very easy to understand how the rook moves.

They are also capable of performing a special move called castling, with the king.

Capturing

A rook can capture an enemy piece in the same direction as it moves, that’s in a straight line.

In the position above, the black rook on f6 is able to capture the white bishop on f3 or the white knight on a6.

When all the chess pieces are fighting, all kind of relationships can arise and a lot of fun things can happen. Chess Tactics Galore shows you this.

Knight Moves

Knights move in an “L” shape, which is two squares vertically and one square horizontally or two squares horizontally and one square vertically.

When the chessboard is very crowded, you can find yourself in trouble finding how to move the most of your pieces. Fortunately, the knights don’t have this problem! The knights are the only pieces that can jump other pieces on the chessboard on their way to their destination.

Capturing

A knight can capture an enemy piece in the same direction as it moves, that’s in an “L” shape, which are two squares vertically and one square horizontally or two squares horizontally and one square vertically.

In the position above, the knight is able to capture the black rook on d6 or the black pawn on f2.

A lot of players don’t understand how to play with the knight to get the most of it. There is a big failure on its moves, as you can see on What Is the Weakest Piece in Chess? It can take some time for you to master how to move the chess pieces, specially the knight.

Bishop Moves

Bishops can move as many squares as possible diagonally, as long as there are no piecesobstructing their path! We can say the bishop is the easiest piece to play in chess.

A bishop that starts on the light squares, the f1 bishop for White and the c8 bishop for Black, are called light-squared bishops, and can only travel on light squares.

A bishop that starts on the dark squares, the c1 bishop for White and the f8 bishop for Black, are called dark-squared bishops, and can only travel on dark squares.

Capturing

A bishop can capture an enemy piece in the same direction as it moves on the diagonal. Watch out for dangerous diagonals, when you are facing an enemy bishop, and you are searching how or where to move your pieces.

The black dark-squared bishop has two options in the position above. It can either capture the rook on a1 or the knight on b8.

The knights and the bishops have their own fight in the game of chess. You can learn here all about Minor Pieces and Their Influence on the Board.

Pawn Moves

In general, how to move a pawn is a no-brainer. You just move yours pawns forward!

However, on their initial move, pawns can either move one square or two squares ahead.

And, after the first move is completed by acertain pawn, it’s only allowed to take one step at a time on the same file.

In the position above, the pawn on b2 has the option to either play to b3 or to b4 on its first move.

The black pawn, on the other hand, as it has made its initial move before, can only take one step forward per each move: 1…g5 2…g4… 3…g3.

Pawns are the only pieces in chess that cannot go back!

Capturing

Pawns can capture enemy pieces that are diagonally adjacent to them. In this position, the pawn on c3 is eligible to capture any of the knights, as they are sitting on the b4-square and the d4-square, which are diagonally adjacent to the c3-pawn.

When a pawn has captured a piece, e.g, cxd4, then the pawn will now start using the d-file to travel up the board.

En Passant

This is a special move that only pawns can perform onto other pawns. It is a kind of mystical capture that defies pawn logic.

The basic idea is that you will capture a pawn that has moved twice on the first move as if it had moved only once.

En passant occurs only when an opponent moves their pawn twice on the first move. And when the pawn lands, it’s directly adjacent to your pawn.

It is very common to find chess players who are not aware of this special move. People expect you warn them, when you are shifting to the lane at the side on the road. 😉

In the position above, if White plays 1.c4, then Black is able to capture using en passant, by playing 1…dxc3.

Promotion

Promotion occurs when a pawn reaches the last rank. In White’s case, it’s when a pawn reaches the eighth rank. And in Black’s case, it’s when a pawn reaches the first rank.

When a pawn does so, it’s able to change into either a minor or a major piece. This means it can either become a:

1. Queen (major)
2. Rook (major)
3. Bishop (minor)
4. Knight (minor)

Queen Moves

The queen is the most powerful piece in chess. Once you learn how to move the queen, you don’t want to use any other piece. So, it is not rare you are interested in knowing how to win in chess with just the queen.

The queen can move in any direction ―horizontally, vertically or diagonally― all the squares you want. This is as long as there areno pieces obstructing its path.

Capturing

A queen can capture an enemy piece in the same direction as it moves (diagonally, vertically and horizontally).

The black queen on d5 can capture the white rook on a8, and also the white knight on h1.

There is one small detail to take care with your queen. That is the correct placement for the queen and king on the chessboard. Learn it, so you don’t have doubts about the squares your queen can reach when you start a new chess game.

King Moves

A king can only move one step. However, this step can be done in any direction!

You can move your king forward or backward, be it horizontally, vertically or diagonally. This is as long as there is nopotential danger in that direction, or pieces obstructing the squares.

Deciding on where to move your king is something critical. Don’t take it so lightly!

Capturing

A king can capture a piece in any direction, as long as it’s in one square proximity and also not protected by any other enemy piece.

The king can capture the rook on f5 because it’s within one square proximity and it’s not protected by any other enemy piece.

Once the white king has captured the rook on f5, it will now be located on that square.

Castling

This is a very special move that occurs in order for the king to get into a safer position. Castling is so special that the chess player is allowed to move two pieces on the same turn.

For a king to be able to castle, it requires a rook. Here is a list of rules that need to be followed in order to castle:

• A king which is eligible for castling must have not moved from its initial square at any point in time
• The rook which is eligible for castling must have not moved from its initial square at any point in time
• The king must not be under a check when trying to castle
• The king must not go through a check when castling
• The king must not end up on an attacked square once castling is complete

Here the king is eligible to castle both kingside and queenside as the black pieces meet all requirements in order to castle.

If Black decides to castle kingside, then the king will end up on g8, while the h-rook will end up on f8.

If Black decides to castle queenside, then the king will end up on c8, while the a-rook will end up on d8.

Check

A check occurs when a king is directly under attack from an enemy piece and has the option to either:

1. Run from the check
2. Capture the attacking piece
3. Block the check with one of its fellow pieces.

The king in check is a fundamental thing you should understand. It is at the core of the chess rules.

In the position above, the white king on e2 is under check from the black queen on e6.

White has the option to evade the check by playing the king to d1,d2,d3,f1,f2 or f3.

The other option would be to block the check by playing 1…Qe3 or capture the attacking piece by playing 1…Qxe6.

Checkmate

You can win a chess game without check, but checkmate is the well-known way to end a chess game.

Checkmate occurs when the king is under attack from enemy pieces and it has no escaping squares, no pieces to shield it and no way to capture the attacking piece.

The black king is under a checkmate as it has no squares to move to, no pieces to capture the enemy piece and no way to defend the attack.

About this Guide

The chess pieces offer you all sort of moves. There are simple moves, and more complex moves. With this complete guide you can learn all about how the chess pieces move.

In case you forget it, you just need to check this guide from time to time, until you get a firm grasp on how to move your pieces on the chessboard.

This comprehensive guide is all that you need to fully understand the chess pieces moves!

After learning how chess pieces move and the basic rules, you might want to take your chess to new heights. If this sounds like you, check out the course Level Up Your Chess. This course has six sections covering, not just the opening, middlegame and endgame. It also covers how to avoid blunders and how to study and train effectively.

And my big promise in this course is that studying just one section is enough to boost your chess rating. So, go ahead and check it out.