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How to Remember Piece Movement in Chess

Strategy is the key to winning in chess, but the first hurdle to clear if you're learning how to play is remembering how each piece moves. There are 16 pieces per side, and they represent six different ways to move. Even if you know how they move, it's possible to forget from time to time. A simple refresher exercise could be all you need.

Things You'll Need

Chess set

Instructions

- 1
  Remove all the pieces from the board. Count the number of squares, rows and columns. Not all diagonals contain the same number of squares. Rotate the board until the square closest to you and on the far right is white.
- 2
  Place the king on a center square. Move him around, one space at a time, in any direction. The king is limited to one square move at a time, making it the weakest offensive piece in chess.
- 3
  Replace the king with the queen. Move the queen any number of spaces in any straight line, including diagonals, and repeat until she has touched all squares. Only the queen can make all of these moves.
- 4
  Put a bishop and a rook on the board. If you were to combine a rook, which moves along rows and columns, and a bishop, which moves only in diagonals, they would be the queen. Both pieces can move as many squares as it can.
- 5
  Set a knight alone on the board. The knight moves in an "L" -- two spaces in one direction, one space in a perpendicular direction. In many sets the knight is shaped like a horse. That "horse" is the only piece that can "jump over" other pieces.
- 6
  Put a pawn on the board. Eight pawns start the game on the second row while the other pieces are lined up on the first or back row. The pawns can only move forward. When they are being moved out of the starting row, they can move one or two squares. They can move one space forward after that move with two exceptions. A pawn can move diagonally one square to make a capture, or it can capture "en passant."
- 7
  Advance a pawn to the fifth rank. Place an opposing pawn on the seventh rank in a column adjacent to your pawn's column. Move the opposing pawn two spaces toward you so the two pawns are side-by-side. Move your pawn to the space behind the opposing pawn, capturing the opposing pawn "en passant," or in passing.
- 8
  Send the pawn the rest of the way to the opposite end of the board -- the eighth rank. This will promote the pawn to your choice of a queen, rook, bishop or knight. So remember the pawn, the smallest piece on the board, is the only piece that can rise in power like this.

Chess & Checkers