THE CURIOSITY CORNER · Free practice from Einsteins Square
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CHESS · BEGINNER · 15 QUESTIONS · AT YOUR OWN PACE

Meet your chess pieces

Get to know three important pieces before your next game. Pick an answer, check your thinking, and try a little challenge away from the screen.

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1. Which piece moves in an L shape?
2. Which piece travels along diagonals?
3. Which piece moves in straight lines along ranks and files?
4. How many squares are on a standard chessboard?
5. Which side makes the first move in a standard chess game?
6. Which piece can jump over other pieces in its normal move?
7. How does a pawn normally capture?
8. What does it mean if your king is in check?
9. What is checkmate?
10. Which piece combines the normal movement directions of a rook and a bishop?
11. How many kings does each player begin with?
12. When a pawn reaches the farthest rank, what can it promote to?
13. What is the name of a vertical column of squares?
14. In a legal position, how far can a king normally move?
15. What is stalemate?

TAKE IT OFF THE SCREEN

One more little adventure

Set up a chessboard. Point to a rook, bishop and knight. Show someone how each one moves. Which piece can jump over other pieces?

KEEP EXPLORING

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Answer key: Meet your chess pieces

1. Knight
A knight moves two squares in one direction and one square at a right angle. It can jump over other pieces.

2. Bishop
A bishop moves any number of squares diagonally, as long as its path is clear.

3. Rook
A rook moves horizontally along a rank or vertically along a file. It cannot jump over other pieces.

4. 64
A chessboard has 8 ranks and 8 files: 8 × 8 = 64 squares.

5. White
White makes the first move, then the players alternate turns.

6. Knight
The knight can jump over pieces on its way to its destination square.

7. One square diagonally forward
A pawn captures one square diagonally forward. Its ordinary non-capturing move is straight forward.

8. Your king is under attack
Check means the king is attacked. Your next move must remove that attack.

9. The king is attacked and no legal move removes the attack
Checkmate ends the game: the checked king cannot escape, the checking piece cannot be captured, and the attack cannot be blocked by any legal move.

10. Queen
The queen moves along ranks, files or diagonals when its path is clear.

11. One
Each player begins with one king. Protecting your king is essential.

12. A queen, rook, bishop or knight
A pawn must promote to a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same colour. It does not have to choose a queen.

13. A file
A file is a vertical column labelled a–h. A rank is a horizontal row labelled 1–8.

14. One square in any direction, if safe
A king normally moves one square in any direction, but never into check. Castling is a special move.

15. A player has no legal move and their king is not in check
Stalemate is a draw: the player to move has no legal moves but is not in check.

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