Chess for Beginners

How to Move the Pieces in Chess

How to Move the Knight in Chess

Being able to move the knight in the game of chess can be fairly tricky to master. However, once accomplished, the knight will become one of your greatest chess pieces in the game.

The knights were fierce soldiers in battle. Covered in a suit of armor and fighting on a trained and spirited horse, the knight could overcome nearly any resistance.

In the game of chess, knights can be used to strategically capture other pieces, trap opponent’s pieces in certain places on the chessboard, and sometimes catch your opponent off guard with a surprise attack.

How to Move a Knight in Chess: Overview

Imagine a knight in real life.

Sitting upon his horse, he is high above the others on the battlefield. He can maneuver much more efficiently, and cover ground in a very rapid period of time.

With his rapid movement, he is no match for most pieces, and as long as he keeps his guard, can easily sweep nearly an entire battlefield.

Due to the knights strong spirited horse, the knight moves unlike any other piece in the game! He does not move side to side nor up and down, the knight moves around players, making the knight a very dangerous and highly effective chess piece when it comes to the strategy of chess.

Let’s not take a look at how to move the knight in chess. 

How to Move a Knight in the Game of Chess

1. The knight moves in an “L” shape in the game of chess. The knight moves either two squares forward or backward and one to the side, or two squares to the side and one move forward or backward.
2. For those new to the game of chess, this may sound confusing, but with practice, you will not only be able to move the knight with ease along the chessboard, but anticipate where your opponent’s knight will be headed as well.
3. The knight can attack any enemy piece that stands at the end of his move.

Capturing with the Knight In Chess

As noted above, the knight can capture any chess piece that stands at the end of his move.  In the photo below, the knight can take either the queen or the bishop. (Always take a queen over a bishop).  

Notes About How to Move the Knight in Chess

1. Based on the way the knight moves, it is impossible for the knight to move onto another square of the same color from which he originally moves. As you can see in photo above, the knight is on the white square, and all moves end the knight on a dark square.
2. With the exception of the pawn, the knight is the only piece that can move on the first move of chess. This can be used to a great advantage, as some chess players choose to move their knights out immediately. 
3. A Knight and Bishop have the same value of “3”.

Next:

Learn How To Move The Bishop In Chess