Quick answer
The king moves one square in any direction. The queen moves any number of squares in any direction, the rook in straight lines and the bishop diagonally. The knight jumps in an L-shape and is the only piece that can leap over others. Pawns move forward one square (two on their first move) and capture diagonally.
The king
The king moves one square in any direction: forward, backward, sideways or diagonally. It's the most important piece, but not the strongest. It can never move into check.
Value: priceless. If it's checkmated, the game is over.
The queen
The queen is the most powerful piece. She moves any number of squares in a straight line or along a diagonal, as long as nothing is in the way.
Value: about 9 points.
The rook
The rook moves any number of squares along a rank (row) or file (column). Rooks are strongest on open files and on the seventh rank.
Value: about 5 points.
The bishop
The bishop moves any number of squares diagonally. Each bishop stays on one color for the whole game: you have one light-squared and one dark-squared bishop.
Value: about 3 points.
The knight
The knight moves in an L-shape: two squares in one direction, then one square to the side. It's the only piece that can jump over other pieces, which makes its forks so dangerous.
Value: about 3 points.
The pawn
The pawn moves straight forward one square, or two squares on its very first move. It captures diagonally, one square forward. Here the white pawn can move to d3 or d4, or capture the black pawn on c3.
Value: 1 point, but a pawn that reaches the last rank becomes a queen.
How much is each piece worth?
Piece values help you decide whether a trade is good. They're a guide, not a law: a well-placed knight can be worth more than a bad bishop.
- Pawn
- 1 point
- Knight
- 3 points
- Bishop
- 3 points
- Rook
- 5 points
- Queen
- 9 points
- King
- Priceless: losing it means losing the game
For example, giving a rook (5) for a knight (3) usually loses two points of material. This is called losing "the exchange."
Frequently asked questions
Which chess piece is the most powerful?
The queen. She combines the moves of the rook and the bishop.
Can any piece jump over others?
Only the knight. Every other piece is blocked by pieces in its way.
Can a pawn move backward?
No. Pawns only move forward, which is why every pawn move should be made carefully.