There are several different chess pieces available on a board with which a game of chess can be represented. Each of these pieces has a very strict set of rules that must be followed when using them and it is through the manipulation of these pieces that victory will be gained for one side or the other. Knowing all about the pieces will only help a player get that victory, giving him an edge when it comes to thoroughly understanding all the strengths and weaknesses of each of the available pieces.
The King is the most important piece on a chessboard. It is around this figure that this entire game revolves and the loss of a King means defeat for any player. The King is one of the weakest Chess pieces on the board, with the ability to move only one square at a time in any direction, with the exception of Casting. It can never be put in danger by any other piece and if it is placed in a position where danger might arise, the King must be put to safety, the piece that puts the King in danger must be captured or something must be moved, blocking the way.
The Queen, however, is the most powerful piece available on the board. You can move as many spaces as possible, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The only restrictions placed on it are those of the Knight’s movements: irregularly or by jumping over other pieces. With this great power of the Queen, it is often a priority for players to remove another player’s Queen from the game, as the endgame can be very difficult to win with one or more Queens in play.
The bishops can move as many spaces as they want, but always diagonally. Therefore, the Bishops have their limitations since they will always rest on a square of the same color in which they started the game. His range, however, often turns out to be an advantage. Knights have the most unusual movement requirements of any chess piece. They are restricted to moving two spaces vertically and one space horizontally, or one space vertically and two spaces horizontally, making their final move look like an “L”. This unique movement pattern is both an advantage and a disadvantage for a player, as it allows for unique hitting patterns that cannot always be avoided, but it can also lead to more problems when making a retreat.
The towers move as many spaces as possible in the horizontal or vertical direction. They are generally considered stronger pieces than bishops or knights, which puts them just below the power of the queen. Rooks are one of the most advantageous pieces to hold in an endgame, often helping to achieve a win quickly. Pawns, on the other hand, are the weakest pieces in the game. They can only advance one space at a time, with the exception of their first move, and can only capture diagonally. The advantage of Pawns, however, is that if a player can get one to the other side of the board, the Pawn can move up to another piece of higher value, making them dangerous the closer they get to the other side. With this basic understanding, chess can become a greater game of long-term planning and execution.
