How Many Pieces Are In Chess

Chess has been around for at least a thousand years. However, the rules and pieces used in the game have gone through many phases of evolution. In this Square Off article, we will discuss the theme – ‘How many pieces in chess’ in detail.

A basic chess board has 32 pieces at the start of the game. Each player has control of 16 chess pieces, and the movement of the pieces is determined based on standard chess rules.

Pawns – Each player gets eight pawns at the start of the game, and these pawns are of the lowest value and can generally move forward one square/tile at a time.

Knight – The first ‘small’ piece, the knight is worth three points. They can be moved in a unique pattern, consisting of three ‘L’ shaped squares in any direction.

Bishop – Another ‘small’ piece, the bishop can only move in the diagonal direction of the board, and this ensures that the bishop will always be on the same colored square where he started his play.

Rook – The Rook is the ‘main’ chess piece worth five points. Rooks are usually useful in the late stages of the game, when there are enough empty ranks and rows for the rooks to move freely.

Queen – The queen is the strongest piece on the chessboard and is second in importance after the king. It is worth nine points and can move any number of squares in any direction.

King – The most rewarding part of all, a chess match revolves around a player’s ability to capture the opponent’s king while protecting his own king at all times.

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