Hobbies And Interests
Pawn
The first piece to learn is the pawn. There are eight pawns on each side that fill the entire second rank. The pawn moves exactly one square forward, but is able to move two squares forward on it's first move. To capture another piece, it must move diagonally onto the piece. It cannot take an opponent's piece that is directly in front of it. If a pawn succeeds in reaching the opposite side of the board, it may be promoted into any other piece its owner chooses.
Rook
There are two rooks, and they are placed at the far ends of the first rank. In most chess sets, they look like a short tower. Rooks are able to move so far as they like along a horizontal or vertical line provided they are not blocked by another piece.
Knights
There are two knights, located next to the rooks on the first rank. They usually look like a horse's head. Knights have one of the most complicated move patterns in chess. Knights move two spaces in any direction, and then one space perpendicular in that direction. If you draw a line tracing the movement of a knight, it should look like the upper-case letter L. It is also the only piece that can jump over other pieces.
Bishop
Next to the knights are the bishops, which usually look like a thin tower that comes to a rounded point. Bishops are permitted to move diagonally as far as they like, provided they are not blocked by another piece. It can never move horizontally or vertically along the board. Due to this, a bishop will always remain on the same color through the course of the game: one on white and one on black.
Queen
Next to the bishop and on her own color, so that the white queen is on a white square and the black queen on a black square, is the queen, which will be the second-tallest piece, wearing a pointed crown. The queen is effectively a combination of the rooks and bishops. She is able to move horizontally, vertically and diagonally in straight lines. For this reason, she is usually regarded as the most valuable piece after the king.
King
The king is the most important piece in the game, and the game is lost when a king can no longer escape being taken. Usually, the king is the tallest piece, wearing a crown that is topped with a cross. It begins between the queen and a bishop. It can move one space, and only one space, in any direction.
Check
Any time any enemy piece moves into a position where it could take the king on its next turn, the king is said to be in check, and it is good manners to announce checks. The player who is in check must escape check on their next move and may never end their turn with the king in check.
Checkmate
If a check is made so that the opposing player cannot rescue the king with any single move, this is called check mate. The game is over and the checking opponent wins.
Stalemate and Resignation
If a player is unable to make any move on his turn, but is not in check, then the game is a stalemate and a draw. Additionally, a player may, if he feels his situation to be impossible to win or stalemate from, resign the game at any point.
Touching Pieces
In the event that a player touches one of his pieces, he is required, if possible, to make his next move with this piece.