The Army on the Board

To become great at chess, you must understand the unique powers of your army. Each piece moves differently, and knowing how to coordinate them is the key to victory.

There are 6 unique chess pieces. They are:

• The King: The leader
• The Queen: The powerhouse
• The Rook: The castle
• The Bishop: The sniper
• The Knight: The jumper
• The Pawn: The soul of chess

The King ♔

The king is the most important piece. If you lose your king, you lose the game.

• Start: e1 (White) / e8 (Black)
• Movement: One square in any direction.
• Strategy: Protect him early (Castle!), use him as an attacker in the endgame.

The Rook ♖

The rook is a major piece, worth 5 points.

• Start: Corners of the board (a1, h1).
• Movement: Straight lines (up, down, left, right) for any distance.
• Pro Tip: Rooks love open files. Don't leave them trapped behind your own pawns!

The Bishop ♗

The bishop is a minor piece, worth 3 points.

• Start: Next to King and Queen.
• Movement: Diagonals only.
• Limitation: A bishop starting on a light square will never touch a dark square.

The Queen ♕

The most powerful piece, worth 9 points.

• Movement: Combines the Rook and Bishop. She can move in any direction for any distance.
• Warning: Don't bring her out too early! She becomes a target for opponent's minor pieces.

The Knight ♘

The trickiest piece, worth 3 points.

• Movement: "L" shape (2 squares one way, 1 square the other).
• Superpower: The only piece that can jump over others.
• Strategy: Knights are best in the center of the board. A knight on the rim is dim!

The Pawn ♙

The foot soldier, worth 1 point.

• Movement: Forward only. 1 square at a time (option for 2 on first move).
• Attack: Captures diagonally forward.
• Special Moves: Promotion (turning into a Queen!) and En Passant.

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Summary

Understanding movement is step one. Step two is understanding coordination. A Bishop and Knight working together are often stronger than a Rook alone. Practice these movements until they become second nature!