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The kings are the heart of any Chess game.
Although they can be used as strategic pieces, generally speaking they must be protected.
If a piece is attacking the king, and there is no way to block or escape, the game will end in checkmate.
The king's movement is similar to the queen's, however it can only move one square in any direction, making it much less effective.
Kings
The queens are the most powerful pieces on the board.
Their movement mirrors a combination of bishops and rooks, moving vertically, horizontally and diagonally in any direction.
Unlike bishops, queens can land on dark and light squares - making them an incredibly powerful piece.
Although the king is the most valuable piece, if the queen is lost for either side, it usually means the game will easily be won by the opponent.
Queens
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The rooks are the the second most valuable piece, and for good reason.
Although they struggle to develop early, because of their starting position, when the endgame comes the rooks will dominate.
They can move horizontally and vertically up the board, and if the two rooks can link up successfully they're going to cause some trouble.
Rooks are slightly better than knights and bishops, although depending on the position this might not always be the case.
Rooks
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Bishops are the snipers of Chess, and can control an entire game.
They move diagonally, with each bishop controlling each colour complex on the board. However, bishops cannot switch their complexion.
This adds an interesting dynamic to games. Sometimes one of your bishops will be better than the other, they should be treated like different pieces.
Although they can carry their own weight, bishops are most threatening when in a pair when they can control both complexions.
Bishops
Knights are one of the most unique pieces in the game.
Not only do they move in the shape of an L in any direction, but they can also jump over other pieces standing in their way.
In a general sense, its believed that knights are slightly less valuable than bishops, however in certain positions - it can be the opposite.
Knights are extremely strong pieces if you know how to use them efficiently, and are often the most underestimated piece on the board.
Knights
Pawns are the foundation of any Chess game.
If Chess is an artform, then the pawns are the canvas. A painting simply
cannot exist without them.
Not only do they occupy space, forcing the stronger pieces to play around
them, but they also guard squares too.
Pawns work well in numbers, and considering they begin in one straight line,
the game is often shaped by the assortment of pawns and their structure.
Pawns
Now that we know everything about the empty board, let's start putting some pieces on it.
There are six unique pieces on the Chess board for each player. All possessing different movement, value and limitations.