Which chess piece is the strongest?

The queen. She moves any distance in a straight line or diagonal, so she controls more squares than any other piece.

Which piece can jump over others?

Only the knight. Every other piece stops when another piece is in its way (apart from the rook hopping over the king when castling).

Which piece can only move forward?

The pawn. It never moves backward or sideways, and it captures diagonally forward.

Can any piece capture the king?

No. The king is never actually taken. When it is attacked and cannot escape, that is checkmate and the game ends.

How chess pieces move

Updated 1 October 2026

The king moves one square in any direction. The queen moves any distance in a straight line or diagonal, the rook in straight lines, and the bishop on diagonals. The knight jumps in an L shape. The pawn moves forward one square (two on its first move) and captures diagonally.

All six pieces at a glance

Piece	How it moves	How it captures	Worth
Pawn	One square straight forward, or two from its starting square.	One square diagonally forward.	1
Knight	An L shape: two squares in a straight line, then one to the side. Jumps over pieces.	Lands on the enemy piece, with the same L-shaped move.	3
Bishop	Diagonally, any number of squares. Stays on one colour all game.	Takes the first enemy piece on its diagonal.	3
Rook	Straight lines along ranks and files, any number of squares.	Takes the first enemy piece in its line.	5
Queen	Any number of squares in a straight line or diagonal: rook plus bishop.	Takes the first enemy piece in any of her lines.	9
King	One square in any direction. Never into check. Castles with a rook.	Like it moves, if the piece it takes is not protected.	Priceless

Worth is in pawns: the usual rough guide for deciding whether a trade is good, not a rule. More inchess piece values.

Try them on a board

Tap any white piece to see every square it can reach, then tap a dot to move it. Nobody plays back, so you can keep exploring. Notice how the knight is the only one that doesn't care what stands in its way.

The knight on e4 is selected. Tap a dot to move it, or tap another white piece.

Three ideas that apply to every piece

Capturing works the same way for almost everyone. A piece captures by moving onto the enemy piece's square, using its normal move. The pawn is the only exception: it moves straight but captures diagonally.
Only the knight jumps. The queen, rook and bishop slide until they hit something. They can take the first enemy piece in their path, but never pass through it.
Your king must stay safe. No piece may make a move that leaves its own king in check, even a move that would otherwise be legal.

One lesson per piece

Each piece has its own page with a practice board, its special rules and the mistakes beginners make with it.

How the pawn moves: One square straight forward, or two from its starting square.
How the knight moves: An L shape: two squares in a straight line, then one to the side. Jumps over pieces.
How the bishop moves: Diagonally, any number of squares. Stays on one colour all game.
How the rook moves: Straight lines along ranks and files, any number of squares.
How the queen moves: Any number of squares in a straight line or diagonal: rook plus bishop.
How the king moves: One square in any direction. Never into check. Castles with a rook.

Questions people ask

Which chess piece is the strongest?: The queen. She moves any distance in a straight line or diagonal, so she controls more squares than any other piece.
Which piece can jump over others?: Only the knight. Every other piece stops when another piece is in its way (apart from the rook hopping over the king when castling).
Which piece can only move forward?: The pawn. It never moves backward or sideways, and it captures diagonally forward.
Can any piece capture the king?: No. The king is never actually taken. When it is attacked and cannot escape, that is checkmate and the game ends.