Chess Pieces Names

The names of the chess pieces may seem odd to newcomers. One such example is the King and queen, which are often confused with one another. In almost every chess set, the King is adorned with a tiny crown or across. The queen is typically smaller and has a ridged top on her head. It’s critical to understand all of the chess pieces and their names to properly grasp the regulations. So, what are the names of all of the chess pieces?

The names of the chess pieces are King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Pawn. The Bishop and knight flank the Rook in twos. There are eight pawns in total as well as one King and one Queen to complete the royal family.

Here’s a detailed description of each chess piece.

King

The King is the most essential piece in the game, but it is also the weakest. The King has just one move: forward, backward, or sideways. The King also has a unique and unusual move, known as the castling maneuver (which will be described further below). The King may never place himself in a position where he is at risk. If you lose your King, the game is over.

Castling

The King, like the Rook, is also protected by this particular rule. Castling allows you to accomplish two key objectives:

• Ensure that your King is safe; you must get him to safety at any cost.
• You can also move your rook from the corner to the center of the board.

The King can be moved two squares to the side, and then the Rook can be positioned next to the King on the other side. To castle, however, the following criteria must all be met.

• It must be the initial move of Rook.
• For the King, it must be the starter move since he is not able to castle.

The King must be able to move freely between the two rooks (no pieces may obstruct him). The king must not be checked or have changed location. If your castle is in one direction, the King will approach the chess board’s side. If a player castles to the other side of the board, where the queen sits, it is known as a “kingside castling.” A “queen-side castling” is when the King moves across two squares on the opposite side of the board. When castling, he will only move two squares in any direction.

Queen

The queen is the most strong and powerful chess piece because it may move any number of files,squares along a rank, or diagonal position. She may leap over no other square, however. She may attack in any manner she chooses. However, if she is captured like the other pieces on the board, she is out of the game as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vtHLtDkBUQ

Rook

The Rook, which is sometimes called the castle, can only go backward (or “rook-check”), forward (also known as a “rallying point”), or sideways. It cannot leap over any other piece. Rooks are regarded as strong pieces, especially when teamed up with one another to assault the opponent. Captures in a chess match are not required. The Rook does not need to make any captures; it is only permitted to capture other pieces if you want it to.

Bishop

The Bishop’s range is unlimited, as long as they are all diagonal. It cannot leap over obstacles in its path. If the Bishop moves on a black square, it must move diagonally to a black square and vice versa. The Bishop is useful for covering or protecting other pieces on the board. You will only have two bishops of your chosen color in play. Each player, in turn, moves one of his or her pieces on the white squares. The black piece can move directly on the black squares only diagonally; it cannot jump over them.

Knight

The knight moves in many distinct ways when compared to the other components. The head of the knight resembles a horse. It can move two squares in one direction and one box at a right angle for three squares. This creates an “L” design. It is also the only piece that may move over on other pieces.

The knight may go two squares up or down, as well as one square to the right or left., then one perpendicularly. The knight is the only piece that another piece can never block. As a result, the knight is an extremely powerful combatant. It can quickly leap over other pieces and capture the opponent’s pieces. However, the knight is even more hampered in a corner than the queen or Bishop and is therefore even more prone to being taken by the opponent.

Pawn

On the other hand, pawns are the most complicated pieces on the board. Pawns are unique because they may capture and relocate other chessmen in a variety of ways. They advance, but they acquire other issues diagonally. Pawns make their initial movement in the same manner as they do in chess. They can move only one space at a time and not two, as they may in the opening moves of chess. Pawns may capture pieces diagonally in front of them. Pieces can never go back and capture another piece. If a pawn’s path is impeded, it cannot advance until the piece in front of it has moved.

Pawn Promotion

It is pretty easy for a pawn to go from one side of the board to the other, and if it does so, it can become any other piece (promotion). However, some people believe that pawns may only be traded for chess pieces that have previously been taken. It is not correct. A pawn may be upgraded to a queen.

En Passant/ In passing

Another term that applies to pawns is “en passant,” which means “in passing” in French. Pawns can capture their opponents’ pawns on the first move, regardless of distance, if they end up next to each other after two squares’ movement. The moment a player discovers it and acts quickly, they can make this move. Otherwise, the opportunity to take the pawn will pass. After you’ve learned the pieces’ names and how they move, it’s time to learn how the board is constructed. Where does each chess piece belong on the board?

Older Names Of The Chess Pieces

Chaturanga was a game played with 32 pieces originally. It was later renamed chatura, and the name of the game has changed very little since then. The origins of chess are found in India during the 6th century AD, known as chaturanga. The chess pieces were known as something different than what we know today. They were named after animals. Here are older names of chess pieces:

Older names	Modern names
Horse	Knight
Chariot	Rook
Soldier	Pawn
Elephant	Bishop
Adviser	Queen
King	King

I have discussed all of the chess pieces and actions as well. Chess is a challenging game, so it’s better to start with the basics before you can be good at this complicated game. Let me know if you find this article helpful.