Hobbies And Interests
Pawns
Pawns are initially the smallest and weakest pieces on the board. Thus, there are more pawns than any other piece. But don't discount them as simply "sacrificial" or "throw away" pieces. If a pawn makes it all the way to the opposite side of the board, it can be "promoted" to any other piece except a king. A pawn's movement is fairly simple. In the first move a pawn makes, it may move two spaces forward. After that, it can only move one space at a time. A pawn can only capture a piece that is diagonal to it. A pawn may not capture a piece directly in front of it. And, a pawn may only move forward, never backward (that is of course unless it's promoted to another piece).
Bishops
The bishop is the piece with the point on top. Bishops can only move in a diagonal fashion. They can move forward or backward any number of spaces, so long as their movement remains diagonal. Whatever color square your bishop starts out on, it will always be on that color.
Rook
The rook may move in any four "cardinal" directions. The rook may move forward or backward left or right. But, in contrast to the bishop, the rook may only move in a straight line. The rook may move any number of spaces in a single move.
Knight
The knight (the horse) moves in the most unusual pattern. The knight must always move three spaces in each move. The knight always moves in an "L" pattern. The knight may move two spaces ahead and one to the side, or one space ahead and two to the side. The knight may move forward or backward on the board, or left or right, as long as it always moves in a 2-1 "L"-shaped pattern. Because of the knight's special movement, it is the only piece on the board that can "jump over" other pieces.
The Queen
The queen is the most powerful piece on the board and combines the movements of both the bishop and the rook. She may move forward or backward, left or right in any pattern, whether straight or diagonal. The queen can also move any number of spaces in a single move.
The King
The queen may be the most powerful piece on the board, but the king is the most important. The whole object of chess is to try to capture your opponent's king. Like the queen, the king may move in any direction. He may move straight or diagonally. But, the king has one major drawback. He can only move one space at a time.
Special Moves
There are certain special moves in chess that can be used to give a player a little extra edge.
Castling
Castling moves the king to a "safer" place on the board and is the only time in chess in which you can move two pieces at once. To castle, simply move the king two spaces toward the rook, then move the rook to the square through which the king has just passed. The rules of chess state that castling can only be done if it is the first move that the king and the rook involved have made. Also, there can be no other pieces between the king and the rook with which you choose to castle. The king must not pass through a square that is under attack by an opposing piece. The king may not castle if it is in check. Nor can it come into check when castling is complete.
Now that you know the basic movements of chess, you can start playing. As with anything, the more you play chess the better you can become in the long run. And for many people all over the world, chess has become a life-long passion.