Chess piece

JaquesCookStaunton

Chess Piece, Pawn or Backgammon Piece MET sf1972-9-28a

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Chess Piece in the Form of a Knight MET sf17-190-231s5

Chess Piece, Bishop MET 49.36(1)

Chess Piece in the Form of a Warder (Rook) or Pawn MET DP318027 (cropped)

Chess pieces are the movable objects placed on a chessboard used to play the game of chess. Each player begins with sixteen pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king, whereby the king is under immediate attack (in "check") and there is no way to remove it from attack on the next move.

History

The game of chess has a long history, originating in India during the Gupta Empire, where its early form in the 6th century was known as chaturanga. This version spread to Persia, where it was named shatranj, and subsequently spread to the Arab world and Europe. The modern chess pieces with their distinctive shapes were standardized in the late 15th century with the introduction of the rules of modern chess in Europe.

Pieces and Their Movements

Each type of chess piece moves in a distinct way, which defines the strategy of the game.

King

The king can move exactly one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The king also has a special move known as castling that involves moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then moving the rook to the square over which the king crossed.

Queen

The queen combines the power of the rook and bishop, making it the most powerful piece. It can move any number of squares along a rank, file, or diagonal, but it cannot leap over other pieces.

Rook

The rook moves any number of squares along a rank or file but cannot move diagonally. Rooks are involved in the special move called castling, along with the king.

Bishop

Each bishop starts on one color (light or dark) and must always stay on that color. Bishops can move any number of squares diagonally, but cannot leap over other pieces.

Knight

The knight moves to any of the nearest squares not on the same rank, file, or diagonal. Its movement is often described as an "L-shape": two squares in a horizontal or vertical direction, then one square perpendicular to that direction, or vice versa. The knight is the only piece that can "jump" over other pieces.

Pawn

Pawns move forward one square, but capture diagonally. On its first move, a pawn has the option of moving two squares forward. Pawns have a special move called "en passant" and can be promoted to any other piece (except the king) upon reaching the farthest rank.

Strategy and Tactics

Chess strategy involves setting and achieving long-term positioning advantages during the game – for example, where to place different pieces – while tactics concentrate on immediate maneuver. These concepts do not merely involve the movement of pieces but the underlying principles such as pawn structure, king safety, control of key squares, and the timing of a counterattack.

Cultural Significance

Chess has been described as an art, a science, and a sport. It has also played a role in society and culture, from politics to mathematics, literature, and the arts. The game and its pieces have been subjects of various works of art and have been used metaphorically in literature and philosophy to illustrate complex ideas and dilemmas.