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How to Move the Pieces

How to Move the Pieces

CHESScom
Chess.com Team
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Learn how all of the pieces move and how to set up a chessboard!

Are you learning the royal game? Do you want to play chess with a friend or family member? Then this course is for you! By learning the material in this course you will be ready to set up a board and play a game of chess!

Here is what you will learn:

  • How to set up a chessboard
  • What pawn promotion is and how to do it
  • The movement of every chess piece
  • How to checkmate and win the game!

The King and the Goal

Chess is won by checkmating - trapping - the opponent’s king. The king can move to any square that’s directly next to it: up, down, sideways, or diagonal.
1 min
5 Challenges

The Queen

The queen can move forwards, backward, sideways, and diagonally like a king. However, unlike the king, the queen can move as far as it wants to in each of these directions.
1 min
5 Challenges

The Rook

The rook can move forwards, backward, and sideways.
1 min
5 Challenges

The Bishop

The bishop can move diagonally like a queen, but not forward, backward, or sideways. Each side starts with two bishops, one on a light square and one on a dark square.
1 min
5 Challenges

The Knight

The knight is the only chess piece that doesn't go in a straight line. The knight moves two squares in one direction and then turns and goes one square to the side.
1 min
5 Challenges

The Pawn

Pawns move one square forward and cannot move back. A pawn may advance two squares on its first move. Pawns can only capture one square diagonally ahead.
2 min
5 Challenges

Pawn Promotion

When a pawn reaches the end of the board it “promotes”, it turns into another piece. Most of the time players promote to a queen, but a rook, knight, or bishop is also possible.
1 min
5 Challenges

Setting Up the Board

Rooks are in the corners, with knights next to them, followed by bishops. Kings and queens take the center squares with the queen on her own color. All pawns go on the 2nd and 7th ranks.
2 min
8 Challenges

How to Move the Pieces

How to Play
8 Lessons
10 Minutes
43 Challenges
Released 10/18/2018

Verwant