Chidike
6 Chess pieces under the Lens
There are only six pieces in chess: The pawn, the knight, the bishop, the rook, the queen and the king.
Each piece moves differently and is valued at different levels. In this article, read about the different chess pieces and how they move across the board.
Let’s start with pawns, the soul of chess.
What is the pawn?
Key Characteristics
The pawn is the metaphorical foot soldier of the war that occurs on the chessboard.
The word “pawn” originally comes from the word “soldier” and it is the same across most languages, except for some cultures where the word for farmer or peasant is used.
The pawn can move one square forward on every turn, except for its first move, where it can move two squares forward.
The pawn is the only piece in chess that cannot move backwards and the only piece that captures differently than it moves. The pawn captures diagonally, one square. Meaning if there is a white pawn on e4 and a black pawn on d5, those pawns can capture each other.
On the other hand, if there is a white pawn on e4 and a black pawn on e5, those pawns will never capture each other.
They will remain opposed the whole time, not moving unless another piece approaches a diagonal so one pawn can capture.
What is the knight?
Key Characteristics
Chidike
Hi, I'm Chidike Henry, a software engineer with a decade year of experience in the field. My passion for technology started at a young age and has only grown stronger over the years. I am constantly seeking out new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow as a developer.