The Chess Pieces
6. That is the number of different chess pieces that any one person has to choose amongst in order to make their next move in chess. 6 pieces that each has their own moves, character and value in a chess match. The chess pieces are the King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, and Pawn. These are the pieces of chess in its current form. It is quite apparent from the names that the most dominant influence on chess pieces has been during the Middle Ages.
The King.
The single most important piece on the chess board. There is only one King per side, and capturing the king is the goal of the entire game. In a chess set, the King is the tallest piece. The King will have a distinct crown and often will have a cross on the top. The King only moves one square at a time unless it is part of a castling move.
The Queen.
Also only one per side, the Queen is the strongest on the board (the King not withstanding). The Queen is the only chess piece that is allowed to move in all 8 directions from her square in a straight line. The Queen Pieces is usually the second tallest piece. She is distinguished with a coronet at the top of the pieces.
The Bishop.
The religious leader of the chess kingdom. There are two Bishops on any side one on a white square, and one on a black square. These men are allowed to move diagonally from their square in any of the 4 directions, being sure to maintain the path that start with the color of the current place. The Bishop pieces is very often times a very slender and tall shape with elegant lines and curves detailing it.
The Knight.
The Knight is the most unique of the chess pieces, in both function and shape. There are also 2 Knight per side. The Knight is the piece that does not move in a straight line, but rather in an L shape. Remember 2 steps out (any of the 4 non-diagonal directions) and then one space to either the left or the right. The Knight also the only pieces that may pass another pieces that is directly in front of it making it the only pieces that may be moved first other than the pawn. The Knight also is the piece that is the most different from any other piece. It is almost always in the shape of a horses head and neck. This allows it to be the most detailed and often times most ornate of the pieces.
The Rook.
There are two Rooks on either side. They are located at the far ends of the chess board laterally. The Rook is allowed to move the length of the board forward, backward, left and right, staying on the same color square that he started on. The Rook piece usually represent a castle, and most often times depicted as a tower of a fortress. When metal pieces are created, there is often the opportunity to add a solid rock base to the pieces like castles of yore.
The Pawn.
The least valuable and most available pieces on the chess board is the pawn. There are 8 pawns per side. The Pawn is allowed to move one space forward at a time unless taking a piece en passente. If the pawn is able to make its way across the board and reach the other side, it will be promoted to a Queen. The pawn chess piece is invariably the smallest and least detailed on the board.
