What are the names of the chess pieces?

The six chess pieces are the king, queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn. Each player begins with one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns, for sixteen pieces per side and thirty-two in total.

Which chess piece is the most powerful?

The queen, because it moves any number of squares along ranks, files and diagonals, combining the powers of the rook and bishop. It is valued at nine points, more than a rook and bishop together.

Can a king kill a king in chess?

No. A king can never capture the enemy king, and the two kings can never stand on adjacent squares. Moving your king next to the enemy king would place it in check, which is an illegal move.

Can a king capture a piece in chess?

Yes, as long as the piece is not defended. The king captures any adjacent enemy piece the same way it moves. If capturing would leave the king attacked by another enemy piece, the capture is illegal.

Which chess piece can jump over others?

Only the knight. It moves two squares in one direction and then one square at a right angle, and the squares in between may be occupied by pieces of either colour.

Why can a bishop only move on one colour?

Because a diagonal move always ends on a square of the same colour it started on. Each side therefore has one light-squared bishop and one dark-squared bishop, and neither can ever attack a square of the other colour.

ChessDream

Chess Rules

Chess Pieces

All six pieces: what each one is called, how it moves, and what it is worth.

There are six kinds of chess piece: king, queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn. The king moves one square in any direction, the queen any distance in any straight line, the rook any distance along ranks and files, the bishop any distance diagonally, the knight in an L-shape of two squares then one, and the pawn forward one square, capturing diagonally. Each player starts with one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns.

After

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The starting position. Each side has eight pawns in front and, from left to right, rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook. The white queen starts on a light square and the black queen on a dark one.

How each piece moves

Every piece except the knight moves in straight lines and is blocked by any piece in its path. The knight is the only piece that jumps over others.

King: one square in any direction. It may never move onto a square attacked by an enemy piece.
Queen: any number of squares along a rank, file or diagonal. It combines the rook and the bishop.
Rook: any number of squares along a rank or file. It also takes part in castling.
Bishop: any number of squares diagonally. Each bishop stays on the colour of square it started on for the whole game.
Knight: two squares in one direction then one at right angles, forming an L. It is the only piece that can jump over other pieces.
Pawn: one square forward, or two from its starting square. It captures diagonally forward, never straight ahead.

What the pieces are worth

These values are the standard guide used to judge whether a trade is favourable. They are a rule of thumb, not part of the laws of chess, and a piece's real worth depends on the position.

Pawn: 1 point
Knight: 3 points
Bishop: 3 points
Rook: 5 points
Queen: 9 points
King: no value, because it can never be captured or traded

Rules that apply only to pawns

The pawn is the most restricted piece and also the one with the most special rules.

It moves forward only and can never move or capture backwards.
It may advance two squares on its first move, then one square at a time after that.
It captures diagonally, which means it does not capture the way it moves.
It can capture en passant when an enemy pawn uses its two-square move to pass by.
It promotes on reaching the far side of the board, becoming a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour.

Can a king capture?

Yes. The king captures the same way it moves, taking any enemy piece standing on an adjacent square, provided that piece is not defended. Capturing a defended piece would place the king in check, which is illegal.

A king can never capture the enemy king. The two kings can never stand on adjacent squares, because moving next to the enemy king would put your own king in check.

Frequently asked questions

What are the names of the chess pieces?: The six chess pieces are the king, queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn. Each player begins with one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns, for sixteen pieces per side and thirty-two in total.
Which chess piece is the most powerful?: The queen, because it moves any number of squares along ranks, files and diagonals, combining the powers of the rook and bishop. It is valued at nine points, more than a rook and bishop together.
Can a king kill a king in chess?: No. A king can never capture the enemy king, and the two kings can never stand on adjacent squares. Moving your king next to the enemy king would place it in check, which is an illegal move.
Can a king capture a piece in chess?: Yes, as long as the piece is not defended. The king captures any adjacent enemy piece the same way it moves. If capturing would leave the king attacked by another enemy piece, the capture is illegal.
Which chess piece can jump over others?: Only the knight. It moves two squares in one direction and then one square at a right angle, and the squares in between may be occupied by pieces of either colour.
Why can a bishop only move on one colour?: Because a diagonal move always ends on a square of the same colour it started on. Each side therefore has one light-squared bishop and one dark-squared bishop, and neither can ever attack a square of the other colour.

More chess rules

Know the rules and want to see where your games actually go wrong? Paste any game into the free analysis board for a move-by-move review, or explore how games begin in the opening explorer.