This article covers the basics of an ancient and unique board game that has continued to challenge, amuse and confound many people over many centuries. It is the wonderfully archaic yet paradoxically modern game called chess.
The game of chess is one of strategy; it's a mind sharpening exercise, one where in order to beat your opponent, you need to be one step ahead all the time. As with everything else in life, know-how is the key to success. In order to win at chess, having a firm grasp of the essentials is vital. Therefore, you really need to know the usage and the names of each chess game piece to become a champion.
As you probably already know, the basics of the game start with 2 players who play alternately at the board. In this respect, chess is just like any other board game. One player will choose to play with the black chess pieces the other white pieces. Then, you "cut and thrust" like medieval knights; one game piece is moved at a time, with the sole intention of conquering the enemy King. He who does so is acclaimed the victor.
Now let us hone in on the specifics; the piece we will look at first is called a Bishop. This game piece is restricted to moving only in a straight line diagonally. This chess piece can be moved over as many squares as you would like across the squares. Next comes the Rook. This piece resembles a miniature tower, and can be moved in both a horizontal and a vertical direction. Again, like the Bishop game piece, the Rook has no limit on the number of squares it can be moved.
We come now to the piece to be reckoned with, in the enemy of many, the most potent of all...the Queen. The Queen has established quite a high reputation simply because this game piece has unbounded choices in that she can be moved in any direction at all, and across any amount of squares too. This is in stark contrast to the next 'royal'; the King. Although the King is the key piece in the game, it is restricted to one square at a time. The only benefit the King has is that it can be moved in any direction.
Next up is the Knight chess piece. As you would expect, the Knight is distinguishable by sitting atop a horse, or perhaps "morphed" is a better description! He moves in an erratic way; an L shape. This game piece is unique in that it can leap over all other pieces. Well... horses do that sort of thing!
Finally, let me introduce you to the humble Pawn. I say humble, but "weak" may be more appropriate. In the game of chess, Pawns have limited movement in that you can move them only in a forward direction. Although the pawns are little workers, they play a very important role when manipulating the chessboard. If a pawn manages to reach the other side of the board, this will enable the owner/player to get back one of the pieces that were taken during the game.
