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There are many names for the little things we move around to play board games: units, chits, markers, etc. In chess, they're called pieces. How do they work?
Pawns
Pawns
Each player has eight pawns.
White pawns start on the second row.
Black pawns start on the seventh row.
If a pawn hasn't moved yet, it can move one square forward or two squares forward.
If a pawn has already moved, it can only move forward one square.
Pawns can capture other pieces diagonally one square forward.
If there is a piece in front of a pawn, the pawn can't move.
If there is a piece two squares ahead of a pawn, the pawn can only move one square forward.
Notes:
All pieces except pawns start on the first row for white and the eighth row for black.
All pieces except pawns capture the same way they move normally.
Knights
Knights
Each player has two knights.
One knight for both players starts on the "b" column.
The other knight for both players starts on the "g" column.
Knights move in an "L" shape.
They move two squares in one direction (not diagonal), then turn a corner.
Knights can also move over pieces. It doesn't matter if they are your pieces or your opponent's.
Bishops
Bishops
Each player has two bishops.
One bishop for both players starts on the "c" column.
The other bishop for both players starts on the "f" column.
Bishops move diagonally.
They can move up to seven squares, as long as they don't move off the board.
Bishops also can't move through pieces. They can capture a piece and stop, or stop before their own piece.
Rooks
Rooks
Each player has two rooks.
The rooks for both players start on the corners of the board (the "a" column and "h" column).
Rooks move forward, backward, and sideways.
They can move up to seven squares, as long as they don't move off the board.
Rooks also can't move through pieces. They can capture a piece and stop, or stop before their own piece.
The Queen
The Queen
Each player has one queen.
The queen for both players starts on the "d" column.
The white queen starts on the light square and the black queen starts on the dark square.
The queen moves forward, backward, sideways, and diagonally!
She can move up to seven squares, as long as she doesn't move off the board!
The queen also can't move through pieces. She can capture a piece and stop, or stop before her own piece.
The King
The King
Each player has one king.
The king for both players starts on the "e" column.
The white king starts on the dark square and the black king starts on the light square.
The king can move one square in any direction.
The king is the most important piece in chess. If you lose the king, you lose the game!
Chess is a battle to trap your opponent's king before they trap yours. Use your other pieces to defend your king and attack theirs.
Note: When the game begins, White moves first, then Black moves. Both players take turns moving pieces until the game ends. You can't take more than one turn at a time or skip your turn, and you can only move one piece at a time (except for a very special example in the Special Moves section).
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