Each chess piece is important in winning the game of chess. Each chess piece moves in a different pattern, making chess a game of strategy. There is a reason why millions of people all over the world love playing the game of chess, it challenges your mind. Chess consists of 64 squares with one player controlling black pieces and the other controlling white pieces. You have sixteen pieces made up of pawns, bishops, knights, rooks, a queen and a king. Let’s look at the importance of each chess piece.
Pawns pay an interesting role; they are commonly looked at as a sacrifice piece, but can serve a valuable purpose in your endgame. The pawn can only move forward one space at a time, or can move two spaces when on its starting square, in a straight line away from the player. A pawn captures an enemy piece by striking one square diagonally (either left or right). A pawn has limited movements from the rest of the chess pieces because it cannot move backwards.
The knight is often considered one of the most difficult chess pieces for a beginner. The knight has an odd moving pattern. The knight is the only non-linear piece on the chessboard and is the only chess piece that is allowed to jump over other pieces when moving. Also, the knight is the only piece on the chessboard that a player may make their opening move to their game besides using a pawn. The knight moves two squares horizontally and one square vertically, or two squares vertically and one square horizontally. Therefore, the knight’s movements are an ‘L’ shape. A knight is more powerful if placed in the center of the board or in an area where he has control of eight squares.
Each player begins with two rooks, one in each corner on their side. The rook moves horizontally or vertically, forward or back, through any number of unoccupied squares. A rook captures its opponents by occupying the square on which the enemy piece stands. Each player begins with two rooks, one in each corner on their side. A rook is also involved in a special move with the king called “castling�.
The bishop can move any number of vacant squares diagonally. A bishop has limited movement because he stays on the same color throughout the game. A bishop captures its opponents by occupying the square on which its enemy sits.
The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess. The queen can perform all the functions of the rook and bishop. She can be moved any number of unoccupied squares in a straight line vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. A queen is considered to be more powerful than a rook and bishop together, but not as powerful as two rooks together. The queen is most powerful when the chess board is open, or when the enemy king is not well defended. A queen captures her enemies by occupying the square on which the enemy piece sits.
A king is the most important piece in the game of chess. Since the object of the game is to capture your opponent’s king, you want to keep your king protected at all times. A king has limited movement and can only move one vacant square in any direction. The main advantage of a king is to castle it will a rook.
Chess is considered one of the most popular games in the world. Chess is a wonderful game because it challenges your mind on many different levels.
Chess can be played online, in clubs, tournaments, in parks, or just in the comfort of your own living room.