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How To Move The Pieces

  • King

  • Piece Value : 3 Points or pawns?

  • Priority Classification : The Highest.

  • Starting Quantity : 1

  • Starting Location : e File on the 1st Rank.

  • Range : Short. 1 Square.

  • Coverage : 360 degrees all around.

  • Traditional Rank : The Shah

  • Modern Equivalent : General Command Corps

  • Strengths :

    • The King can defend ​Pieces and Squares 360 degrees immediately around him which is why he is usually guarded by a line of pawns which he also defends.

    • In the Endgame, the King becomes a Key Piece in both Attack and Defence, clearing the way for pawns to advance up the board.

  • Weaknesses :

    • The King is slow moving as he can only move 1 Square at a time.​

    • The King can only threaten or defend against Pieces directly adjacent to him. 

    • The King can be threatened forcing the Player into making restricted moves as opposed to planned moves.

    • Some moves need to be diverted just for the protection of the King.

  • Description :-

    • The King is the most important Piece on the Board. His fate dictates the outcome of the game and therefore the appropriate level of protection on the King needs to be managed while allowing the King to provide a meaningful contribution to the war effort.​

The King can move 1 Square in any direction, horizontally, vertically and diagonally :

The King has one special move per game designed to quickly tuck it away into safety known as Castling. This move gets the King away from the hazardous and heavily contested Centre, off to the side and usually behind a row of shielding pawns. It also brings into play one of the Rooks into the Centre and if done correctly can unite the two Rooks.

It is accomplished by moving the King 2 Squares towards the Castling Rook and then placing the Castling Rook on the same Rank directly on the other side of the King. Castling can be made to the Kingside :

Or Castling can be made to the Queenside :

Advantages of Castling to the Kingside :-

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  • The Kingside is afterall on the Kingside and is closest to the King at the start of the game. Castling Queenside places the King on the other side of the Board and on the same side as the Opponent Queen which can be dangerous.

  • The King naturally fits in on the g-File and automatically + mutually protects the three pawns on f, g & h Files. Castling on the Queenside potentially leaves the King exposed along the c-h diagonal as these Squares are frequently used for Piece development, under contention and could allow the Opponent tactics to be made lining up on the King. Also the pawn on the a-file is robbed of its protection from the Rook so the King needs to make an extra move to fully protect all 3 pawns on the a, b & c Files.

  • Many Opening lines are geared towards the King Castled on the Kingside while developing Pieces into the Board especially if the Queenside Pieces and pawns have been developed and won't be so tightly defended. Therefore when Castling Queenside, the Player has to make sure this is beneficial and won't disrupt the overall Opening Strategy.

Advantages of Castling to the Queenside :-

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  • The Queenside Rook automatically ends up on the d-File, covering the Centre and potentially lining up with the Queen whereas Castling Kingside requires an extra move for Kingside Rook to cover The Centre.

  • Castling Queenside could be interpreted as more "value for money" as the Queenside Rook gets to move 3  Squares whereas the Kingside Rook only gets to move  2 Squares.

  • Castling Queenside frees up the Kingside for attacking play potentially against the Opponent's King and not hampered having to defend the Player's own King there. For example the pawns on files f, g & h are freer to advance without needing to hang back to protect the King.

There are special rules of Castling :-

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  • The King and the Castling Rook must not have moved first. If either have done so, Castling cannot take place.

  • The Back-Rank Squares between the King and Castling Rook must be clear of Pieces.

  • The King cannot Castle to get out of Check.

  • The King cannot Castle into Check.

  • The King cannot Castle through Check. However these only apply to the King, the Castling Rook is free to Castle through these conditions.

In this contrived example, the White King cannot Castle because :-

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  • The Kingside Rook has already moved from h1 to g1.

  • Queenside Castling is unavailable because the White Knight and Bishop are blocking the route on Squares b1 & c1 respectively.

  • The White King is currently in Check from the Black Bishop on b4.

  • The Black Queen on g5 is threatening the White Kings's destination Square of g1.

  • The Black Knight is threatening the through Squares of d1 & f1 preventing the White King from Castling.

  • Queen

  • Piece Value : 9 Points or pawns

  • Priority Classification : Major Piece.

  • Starting Quantity : 1

  • Starting Location : d File on the 1st Rank.

  • Range : Long.

  • Coverage : 360 degrees all around for adjacent squares. All directions are covered however She is surrounded by Knight's Move gaps only 2 Squares away.

  • Traditional Rank : Grand Vizier / Prime Minister

  • Modern Equivalent : Aircraft Carrier / Battleship

  • Strengths :

    • The Queen is the most powerful and mobile Piece in the Player's arsenal.

    • The Queen can defend ​Pieces and Squares 360 degrees immediately around herself as well as project Power in all directions which is why she is usually best covering the Board in the Middlegame.

    • Extremely useful both attacking undefended Pieces anywhere as well as backing up attacking Pieces from behind.

  • Weaknesses :

    • Although extremely mobile, she is not invulnerable and her mobility can be hemmed in by pawns on both sides.​

    • Her extreme power makes her are a viable target as much as the King.

    • If not properly managed or supported, she can become trapped especially during deep attacks.

    • She cannot directly defend against attacks from a Knight.

    • Difficult to mobilise effectively as deploying her too soon without support makes her an easy target for developing Minor Pieces.

  • Description :-

    • The Queen is the most powerful Piece on the Board because She can travel/strike in all directions for unlimited distances. Similar to today's power structures, it is the King's ministers who wield the most power on behalf of the King.​ She might be in fact too powerful for her own good; as the military adage goes : "If it is not disposable, it is not deployable." The Queen is definitely NOT disposable because losing her without an immediate equivalent compensation would ultimately cost the game. 

    • New players need to control the temptation to immediately capitalise her strong power early and instead focus on overall development with the Queen deployed in coordination with all the other Pieces.  

The Queen can move any number of Squares in any direction across the Board, horizontally, vertically and diagonally :

  • Rook

  • Piece Value : 5 Points or pawns

  • Priority Classification : Major Piece.

  • Starting Quantity : 2

  • Starting Location : a & h Files on the 1st Rank.

  • Range : Long.

  • Coverage : All 90 degree horizontal and vertical directions are covered however Rooks cannot cover any diagonal squares.

  • Traditional Rank : Chariot or Rukh or Tower

  • Modern Equivalent : Battle Tank Group

  • Strengths :

    • The Rook is an incredibly powerful piece with more equivalent mobility than the Bishop as it can traverse Squares of either colour.

    • The Rooks work best in a pairs, united on the same Rank or File especially on the 7th Rank picking off the Opponent's backward pawns.

    • The Rook is useful for cutting off all the King's escape squares on one side.

    • Due to the Rook's long range coverage of Files :

      • The Rook can cover both the Passed Pawn and  the intended Promotion Square of any side.

      • Rooks are used to backup advancing pawns from behind adding additional protection.

      • Rooks are used to capture Open files.

  • Weaknesses :

    • The Rooks start the game in the worst location possible; in the corners with over half of their mobility removed and hemmed in by pawns in the front and non-helping Pieces from the side.​

    • At the start of the game, the Rooks are separated from each other as far as possible so additional moves are required to unite them.

    • Usually at least 1 of the Rooks needs to stay on the Back-Rank for most of the game to protect the King until either Piece can leave the Back-Rank without risk.

    • As the game progresses, even more Files get opened up making it less obvious which Files need to be covered apart from the obvious Centre.

    • As with any long range piece, Rooks prefer Open games where they are not hampered by pawns by either side.

  • Description :-

    • The Rook is a powerful Piece on the Board because it can travel/strike in all horizontal and vertical directions for unlimited distances. 

    • New players need to control the temptation to immediately try to mobilise the Rook by pushing the a or  h pawns & advancing up the wings as this is dangerous as the Rooks come under fire from the Opponent's Bishops and it disrupts the defence of the Player's side.  Rooks are better developed united up the Centre.

    • As described before, Rooks are essential in the act of castling which not only protects the King but also allows the Rook to be swiftly be moved into the Centre on the other side of the King so long as that Rook has not been moved 1st.

The Rook can move any number of Squares across the Board, horizontally and vertically :

  • Bishop

  • Piece Value : 3 Points or pawns

  • Priority Classification : Minor Piece.

  • Starting Quantity : 2

  • Starting Location : c & f Files on the 1st Rank.

  • Range : Long.

  • Coverage : 90 degree diagonal directions are covered however Bishops cannot cover any horizontal or vertical squares.

  • Traditional Rank : Elephant

  • Modern Equivalent : Naval Destroyer or Air Defence/Strike

  • Strengths :

    • The Bishop is a fairly mobile piece which can cover end as it can traverse across the Board end to end in 1 move compared to the Knight.

    • Moving a Bishop is just as simple as moving the Rook.

    • The diagonal squares covered by the Bishop can easily be overlooked making easy captures for unwary players.

    • A Strong Bishop is not hampered by its own side pawns especially if they mostly reside on squares of the opposite colour. Similarly Opponent pawns on the same coloured squares present targets for a Strong Bishop so long as they don't hem in and restrict mobility.

    • Keeping both Bishops in the right condition can be worth an extra pawn as squares of both sides can be covered.

    • The Bishop is useful for adding count or pressure on Squares under contention and backing up attacks by the Queen.

  • Weaknesses :

    • For the entire game, the Bishop cannot attack or defend Squares of the opposite colour. So if a Bishop is lost or exchanged away, the player loses the ability to defend those coloured squares.​

    • The diagonal movement of the Bishop makes it too easy to become just another pawn wearing a mitre which is a waste of material.

    • A weak Bishop is hemmed in by its own side pawns on the same coloured squares. The same can be said of a Bishop rendered ineffective by having its mobility cut off by Opponent pawn chains.

    • As with any long range piece, Bishops prefer Open games where they are not hampered by pawns by either side.

  • Description :-

    • The Bishop is a highly mobile Piece on the Board because it can travel/strike in all diagonal directions for unlimited distances. 

    • Care in the Opening needs to be made to ensure that the Bishops can be developed without being blocked in by Knights and pawns.

    • Ironically the balance of the trade between Strong/Weak Bishops and Knights has more sway on the outcome of the game than the influence of the Major Pieces. This in turn is dictated by the positions of the pawns on both sides.

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The Bishop can move any number of Squares diagonally across the Board :

  • Knight

  • Piece Value : 3 Points or pawns

  • Priority Classification : Minor Piece.

  • Starting Quantity : 2

  • Starting Location : b & g Files on the 1st Rank.

  • Range : Short and fixed to 2 squares.

  • Coverage : Only 8 fixed squares in the subcardinal compass directions (NNE, SSW etc.) are covered. Cardinal (N,S,E,W) & Ordinal (NE, SW etc.) Compass points are NOT covered.

  • Traditional Rank : Horse

  • Modern Equivalent : Artillery, Submarine or Special Forces

  • Strengths :

    • The peculiar move of the Knight can make it difficult for the opponent to determine its objective especially forks which require an extra level of attention to discover.

    • The Knight can jump over any obstacles apart from the edge of the Board so threatened pieces cannot be defended by blocking. This useful in Closed games where other Pieces would normally be hemmed but the Knight can jump in and out of Positions. 

    • The Knight can threaten a piece and apart from another Knight, cannot be directly attacked back by the same piece. This is especially evident in the case of the Queen. 

    • The Knight is useful in coordination with the Queen in setting up Checkmate positions against the Opponent King. Similarly the Knight can deliver the winning blow in a smothered mate situation.

    • When properly managed, the Knight can act as a loyal bodyguard and be a lifesaver for the King.

  • Weaknesses :

    • The Knight's peculiar move and shorter range makes it difficult to maneuver it quickly to opposite sides of the Board.​

    • The Knight's peculiar move can also make it difficult to maneuver it quickly to a particular destination Square.

    • The Knight cannot directly defend any of the squares directly adjacent to it.

    • The Knight's limited mobility can easily be cut down further by the edge of the Board. Even on the b & g Files or 2nd & 7th Ranks, the Knight loses at least 25% of its destination Squares.

  • Description :-

    • The Knight is a strange Piece on the Board because its moves are unique and fixed to a range of 2 squares but it is also the only piece which can jump over other pieces and does not need a direct line of sight with its destination square. 

    • In the Opening, there is only limited number of feasible squares the Knight could develop to c3, c6, f3 & f6 for both sides. However this does allow instant access and cover onto the Centre Squares whilst adding extra protection for the Rook pawns. With advancement of the d & e file pawns, squares d2, e2, d7 & e7 become available which can be used to protect both other developed Knights and the 4th rank Central Squares.

    • Compared to other Pieces, the Knight is the only piece which cannot project influence on ANY square in its immediate vicinity. However if properly directed, the Knight can DENY power on contested squares, which would otherwise be freely available, forcing Major Pieces to risk loss in an exchange. This makes Knights useful in outpost situations.

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The Knight moves 1 square horizontally/vertically then 1 square diagonally or 1 square diagonally and then 1 square horizontally/vertically. The effect is that the Knight moves in a sort of 'L' shape : 

Note how that each time the Knight moves, it changes the colour Square it is on and when the Knight moves, it always changes either 2 Files and 1 Rank or 1 File and 2 Ranks.

Ordinarily and near the Centre, the Knight has a maximum of 8 Squares to move to. This gets cut in half if the Knight is off to the side :

Worse still, the Knight only has 2 Destination Squares from a corner :

  • Pawn

  • Piece Value : 1 Point

  • Priority Classification : Pawn.

  • Starting Quantity : 8

  • Starting Location : All Files on the 2nd Rank.

  • Range : Short. Typically 1 Square.

  • Coverage : Movement separate from Capture. Immediate NW and NE diagonal Squares.

  • Traditional Rank : Foot Soldier.

  • Modern Equivalent : Infantry Battalion.

  • Strengths :

    • When correctly managed and in numbers, pawns can be unstoppable.

    • Pawns can act like a portable shield for Pieces, blocking direct attacks and providing supportive cover for defending Pieces.

  • Weaknesses :

    • Pawns are always seen as the weakest piece on the board especially when isolated.#

    • To be effective, pawns need coordination and support from other pieces and pawns on the board. 

    • Pawns are slow moving and have limited attack range which is disjointed from their movement ability.

    • Pawns can only move forward and not backwards meaning moving them needs serious commitment. 

  • Description :-

    • The pawn is a peculiar piece in many ways. They are incredibly weak and yet are very much essential the Game of Chess.

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The movement of pawns can vary and depend on the position of the pawn both on the board and relation to other Pieces. Pawns also move and advance different to how they capture other Pieces. 

The pawn typically moves up the Board 1 square forward at the time without the ability to move back or retreat.
They threaten, capture or defend the forward diagonal squares adjacent to them however they cannot attack the Square immediately in front them. If another Piece sits in front of the pawn, that pawn is blocked and cannot advance forward unless it can capture its way out hence the need for fellow pawns to assist in covering those Front Squares.

Also if a Pawn is on its Starting Square on the 2nd Rank of the Board, it is has the option for its 1st move only to "sprint" 2 Squares forward to the 4th Rank, in sense the pawn can cover the Player's side of the Board if need be. If it does not choose this or performs another task first, it loses this option for rest of the game and reverts to Single Square moves.

©2025 by Worthing Chess Club.

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