Chess Pieces

Each piece in chess has its own unique powers. To become great at chess you must understand these powers and how they can be used to win the game.

The King

The king is the piece with a cross at the top. This may not be the most powerful piece in chess, but it certainly is the most important. If you lose your king, you have lost the game.

Movement

The king can move one square in any direction. It can't jump over material so at the start of a chess game there are no legal moves for the king.

The Rook

The rook is the piece that looks like a castle. This is a very strong piece, also referred to as a major piece.

Movement

The rook can move any number of squares up, down, and across. It can't jump over material.

The Queen

The queen is the most powerful piece. It combines the moves of the rook and the bishop.

Overview

The queens begin on the d1 and d8 squares. The queen is worth 9 points.