Chess has 6 different pieces, and each one moves in its own special way. Once you know their moves, you can play!
Tap each piece below to learn its name and its super-power.
Tip: the board is 8 rows and 8 columns of squares — pieces hop between them.
The pawn is the little soldier. It walks straight forward, just one square at a time. It can never move backwards!
Your turn: tap the square right in front of the pawn to march it forward. ⬆️
The rook is the castle tower. It slides in straight lines — up, down, left or right — as far as it likes, like a plus sign +.
Tap the rook to light up every square it can reach.
The bishop moves on a slant — only diagonally, like a giant letter X. It stays on its own colour the whole game!
Tap the bishop to see its diagonal paths.
The knight is the horse, and it is tricky! It moves in an L-shape: two squares one way, then one square to the side. It is the only piece that can jump over others.
Challenge: find all 8 squares the knight can jump to. Tap them one by one!
The queen is the strongest piece. She mixes the rook and the bishop: she moves in straight lines and diagonals, any number of squares — like a star ✦.
Tap the queen to reveal her amazing reach.
The king is the most important piece, but he is slow. He moves just one square in any direction. Keep him safe — if the king is trapped, the game is over!
Challenge: tap all 8 squares the king can step onto around him.
Quick quiz: tap the piece that matches each clue.