Piece Identification/Description
Before starting play, it is imperative to to know the names of all the pieces and how they move. Having this knowledge will give you more credibility as a chess player and provide you with more ample strategies to victory over your opponent. You will also understand how to protect your own King as well as other valuable pieces. Look below for further explanation about the pieces. On the left side under piece name, there are visuals of each piece. On the right, there are videos displaying explanation of how to move the pieces. 

 



Piece Name                                                                                      Piece Description                                                                                Movement
King


 The ultimate object of the game. Your King has the ability to move horizontally, diagonally, and vertically one space in each direction. However, you typically want to move your King as little as possible. The best move for your King is "castling" which serves as a move of protection for him. Overall, your King is to be protected along with pursuing your opponent's King. Note: whenever the King is placed in "check" (position to be captured by an opposing piece, the only move you can make is one to get him out of check. This could mean moving the King himself or placing another piece in front of the King to block the opposing piece's attack. Until you have gotten your King out of check, any and all other moves will be deemed illegal and not allowed.) Once the King is put into "Checkmate" the game is over. 
Queen


 Your most powerful piece on the board. Your Queen may also move horizontally, diagonally, and vertically for an unlimited amount of spaces. This is the only piece on the board with such versatility and is often the focal point of many players' attack strategies. The Queen is so powerful that if a pawn ever reaches the end of the board, then that player may exchange the pawn for a captured piece and give that piece the same abilities of a Queen. Assuming that a player's original Queen is still on the board, this would give that player an enormous advantage and huge probability of victory with essentially two or more Queens on the board.
Bishop

 This piece is probably the least valuable of the four pieces that sit behind the pawns. Even with that said, your Bishop still poses a legitmate threat with its ability to move unlimited spaces diagonally only. As part of the setup, you receive two Bishops. One covers strictly black spaces and the other strictly white spaces. The biggest advantage the Bishop is probably known for is its assistance in the common strategic attack known as the "fool's mate."
Knight

 A more unique piece of which you also receive two. It moves in an "L" motion (two spaces up and one over or one space up and two over). Once put into action, it receives recognition for being able to form a "pitchfork" attack motion. It is also the only piece with the ability to "jump" over any other pieces. With this ability, its attack cannot be blocked by simply placing another piece in front of it. Its name is also unique in accordance with its physical appearance (a horse, giving reference to the medieval times in which Knights rode horses). You will want to make a noticeable effort to make Knights a valuable part of your attack strategy.
Rook

 Each player has two rooks as part of their Army. They are shaped in the form of castles. This is where the term "castling" came from in reference to the special move performed by the King and the Rook as a means of protection. Rooks can move unlimited spaces horizontally and vertically. They can actually be considered lesser forms of Queens simply without the ability to move diagonally. This gives them slightly more power than a Knight as they prove invaluable in closing off spaces with Queens for the sake of trapping a King. If a Rook is ever captured by the opposing Army but then revived by a pawn's ability to reach the end of the board, it will be placed upside down as a representation of its newfound abilities.
Pawn

 The simplest and least complex piece on the board although you have eight of them. Pawns may move only one space forward. From their original placement only, they can move two spaces if the player chooses. After that, it is one and one only. The only other move they can make is if an opposing piece is one diagonal space over, they can make this capture or kill. Other than that, Pawns simply serve as the front line of protection but must be shifted around to make room for the real "power pieces" to come through the line. As mentioned before, they also serve value if they can successfully reach the end of the opposing Army's board. Ultimately, it serves you well to use Pawns as "sacrificial lambs" in the name of a greater victory due to their lack of true power.

 
Now that you have obtained the necessary knowledge about the pieces, take this matching challenge in order to identify the pieces. Complete this challenge without looking at this page or other reference points for answers. Once you have successfully completed this endeavor, you will be ready to move forward in comprehending the proper setup of the board on the Board Setup page.