Chess Pieces: Names, Moves and Values (Play Free)

There are six chess pieces. The king moves one square any way, the queen any distance in any straight line, the rook any distance straight across or up and down, the bishop any distance diagonally, the knight in an L-shape that jumps over pieces, and the pawn one square forward (two on its first move), capturing diagonally. Players usually value them as pawn 1, knight 3, bishop 3, rook 5 and queen 9. Click any piece in our free chess game and it shows every square it can go to.

The pieces at a glance

Piece	Hindi / Urdu name	Value	How it moves
King	Raja, Badshah	Priceless	1 square, any direction
Queen	Wazir, Rani	9	Any distance, straight or diagonal
Rook	Haathi (elephant)	5	Any distance, straight
Bishop	Oont (camel)	3	Any distance, diagonal
Knight	Ghoda (horse)	3	L-shape, jumps
Pawn	Pyada, Sipahi	1	1 forward (2 at first), captures diagonally

The Hindi names come from the old Indian game of chaturanga and its Persian successor, where the pieces were an army: a king and his minister (wazir), elephants, camels or chariots, horses and foot soldiers. That's why many Indian players still say "haathi" for the rook. Local names vary by region and family, so don't be surprised if someone calls the bishop "hathi" and the rook "oont"; the moves are what count.

King (Raja)

The king moves one square in any direction: forwards, backwards, sideways or diagonally. It can't move onto a square attacked by an enemy piece, because a king can never be left in check.

The whole game is about the king. If it's attacked and can't escape, that's checkmate and the game is over. That's why it has no points value: you can't trade it. In the endgame, though, the king becomes a useful fighting piece worth roughly a minor piece.

The king also has one special move, castling, explained in how to castle in chess.

Queen (Wazir)

The queen is the most powerful piece. It moves any number of squares in a straight line, in any of eight directions: like a rook and a bishop combined. It can't jump over pieces.

Beginners often bring the queen out early. It feels strong, but the opponent can chase it with cheap pieces while developing. Keep it back for the first few moves.

Rook (Haathi)

The rook moves any number of squares straight: along its row or up and down its column. It can't move diagonally or jump.

Rooks start in the corners and are often the last pieces to join the game. They're at their best on open files (columns with no pawns) and on the seventh row, where they attack pawns from the side.

Bishop (Oont)

The bishop moves any number of squares diagonally. Each side has one bishop on light squares and one on dark squares, and each stays on its own colour forever. Together, the pair covers the whole board.

Bishops love long open diagonals and dislike being blocked by their own pawns.

Knight (Ghoda)

The knight moves in an L-shape: two squares in one straight direction, then one square to the side (or one, then two). It's the only piece that jumps over others, so a crowded board doesn't stop it.

A handy fact: a knight always lands on a square of the opposite colour from where it started. From the centre a knight can reach up to eight squares; from a corner, only two. Hence the saying "a knight on the rim is dim".

Pawn (Pyada)

The pawn is the trickiest piece to describe:

• It moves one square straight forward. It can never move backwards.
• On its first move, it may move two squares forward instead.
• It captures diagonally, one square forward to the left or right. It can't capture straight ahead, and it's blocked by any piece in front of it.
• Promotion: when a pawn reaches the far row, it becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight (your choice). Almost everyone picks a queen. In our game, a small menu pops up to let you choose.
• En passant: a special pawn capture, explained in en passant explained.

What the points values are for

The 1-3-3-5-9 values are a rule of thumb for trades. Giving a bishop (3) for a rook (5) is "winning the exchange". Giving a rook for a knight loses two points. A queen is worth about two rooks, or three minor pieces.

They're a guide, not a law. A well-placed knight can be worth more than a badly placed rook, and a pawn about to promote can be worth almost a queen. Our game uses these same values in the bar above and below the board: it shows the pieces each side has captured and a "+3" or similar for whoever is ahead on material.

Practising the moves

1. Open the free chess game and choose Two players.
2. Click a piece. Dots show the empty squares it can move to, and a frame marks pieces it can capture.
3. Try each piece in turn, from the middle of the board and from the edge, to see how its reach changes.
4. Play a full game on Easy against the computer.

If you're starting from scratch, set up a physical board with how to set up a chess board, and when you're comfortable with the moves, chess tips for beginners covers what to do with them.

Start playing

The fastest way to learn how chess pieces move is to click them. Open the free chess game; there's no sign-up and you can undo any move.