Master how each piece moves in a game of chess

There’s a chess piece you could easily capture if you had a knight in position, but you have your queen there instead. Queens can move the same way as most other pieces on the board, but the knight (or horse) is a special piece with some unique rules. Even though the pieces move differently, we can easily help you remember how they get around the board. Keep reading to learn how all the pieces on a chessboard move so you can confidently play your next game!

Things You Should Know

  • Queens are not allowed to jump over pieces or move in the same pattern as knights.
  • Queens can move any number of spaces in a straight line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally as long as the path is unblocked.
  • Knights can move in an L-shape, going 2 spaces in one direction and 1 space at a right angle.
Section 3 of 4:

How does a knight move in chess?

  1. Knights move through 3 squares on the board. Knights (or horses) have a unique L-shaped movement. First, move the knight 2 squares in one direction, and then make a right-angle turn to move 1 more space. Knights are able to jump over friendly and enemy pieces that are blocking the way between their start and end squares.[3]
    • A knight always lands on a square that’s the opposite color of the one it started on.
    • If an enemy piece is on the square where a knight ends its movement, that piece is captured and removed from the board.
    • The knight is the only piece that can jump in chess, so try to keep them on the board as long as you can when you’re playing a game.
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Section 4 of 4:

Moving Rooks, Bishops, Pawns, & Kings

  1. 1
    Rooks Rooks (or castles) move any number of spaces in straight vertical or horizontal lines as long as the path isn’t blocked. Each rook can move forward or backward on the board.[4]
  2. 2
    Bishops Bishops move any number of unblocked spaces in a straight diagonal line, forward or backward. Each bishop can only move on spaces that are the same color as its starting square.[5]
  3. 3
    Pawns The first time you move a pawn, you can move it forward by 1 or 2 squares as long as the path is clear. After that, pawns only move 1 space straight forward as long as it’s empty.[6]
    • Pawns can move 1 space forward diagonally if they’re capturing a piece.
  4. 4
    King Kings can move vertically, horizontally, and diagonally, but only by 1 space at a time. You can move your king forward or backward as long as they aren’t blocked or put you in checkmate.[7]
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About This Article

Sahaj Grover
Co-authored by:
Chess Grandmaster
This article was co-authored by Sahaj Grover and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Sahaj Grover is a Chess Grandmaster, World Champion, and coach, who attained his Grandmaster title at the age of 16. He has been a World Junior Bronze Medalist, World U10 Champion, South African Open 2017 & 2018 Champion, and the Winner of the Arnold Classic 2018 & 2019. Sahaj is known for dynamic attacking skills and being an excellent endgame player.
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Co-authors: 2
Updated: February 22, 2023
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Categories: Chess
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