CHESS BASICS — MOVEMENTS & FUNDAMENTALS

Welcome to the Chess Basics section! Here you will learn how each piece moves, how checks work, what a checkmate is, and how stalemate happens. This section is optional — if you already know how pieces move, you can skip ahead.

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Basic Movements of Each Piece

Understanding how each piece moves is the foundation of chess. Below you will find clear explanations and examples for each piece:

• King: Moves one square in any direction.
• Queen: Moves any number of squares in any direction.
• Rook: Moves horizontally or vertically.
• Bishop: Moves diagonally.
• Knight: Moves in an “L” shape — two squares in one direction, then one square perpendicular.
• Pawn: Moves forward one square; captures diagonally.

Interactive movement exercises will be added here soon.

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What is a Check?

A check happens when your king is under attack. You must make a move that removes the threat — by moving the king, blocking the attack, or capturing the attacking piece.

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What is a Checkmate?

A checkmate occurs when the king is in check and cannot escape. This ends the game — the attacking player wins.

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What is a Stalemate?

A stalemate happens when a player has no legal moves, but their king is NOT in check. The game ends in a draw.

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