Overlook Setting
What Are The Chess Pieces? The chess pieces are what you move on a chessboard when playing a game of chess. There are six different types of chess pieces. Each side starts with 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 bishops, 2 knights, 2 rooks, 1 queen, and 1 king.
The Pawn When a game begins, each side starts with eight pawns. White's pawns are located on the second rank, while Black's pawns are located on the seventh rank. The pawn is the least powerful piece and is worth one point. If it is a pawn's first move, it can move forward one or two squares. If a pawn has already moved, then it can move forward just one square at a time. It attacks (or captures) each square diagonally to the left or right.
The Bishop Each side starts with two bishops, one on a light square and one on a dark square. When a game begins, White's bishops are located on c1 and f1, while Black's bishops are located on c8 and f8. The bishop is considered a minor piece (like a knight) and is worth three points. A bishop can move diagonally as many squares as it likes, as long as it is not blocked by its own pieces or an occupied square. An easy way to remember how a bishop can move is that it moves like an "X" shape.
The Knight Each side starts with two knights—a king's knight and a queen's knight. When a game starts, White's knights are located on b1 and g1, while Black's knights are located on b8 and g8. The knight is considered a minor piece (like a bishop) and is worth three points.
The Rook Each side starts with two rooks, one on the queenside and one on the kingside. All four rooks are located in the corners of the board. White's rooks start the game on a1 and h1, while Black's rooks are located on a8 and h8. The rook is considered a major piece (like the queen) and is worth five points. It can move as many squares as it likes left or right horizontally, or as many squares as it likes up or down vertically (as long as it isn't blocked by other pieces).
The Queen The queen is the most powerful chess piece! When a game begins, each side starts with one queen. The white queen is located on d1, while the black queen is located on d8. The queen is considered a major piece (like a rook) and is worth nine points. It can move as many squares as it likes left or right horizontally, or as many squares as it likes up or down vertically (like a rook). The queen can also move as many squares as it likes diagonally (like a bishop).
The King The king is the most important chess piece. Remember, the goal of a game of chess is to checkmate the king! When a game starts, each side has one king. White's king is located on e1, while Black's king starts on e8. The king is not a very powerful piece, as it can only move (or capture) one square in any direction. Please note that the king cannot be captured! When a king is attacked, it is called "check.
