Learn basic chess moves

Many years ago, there was a white king. He was living in such a lonely world, where the floor was made up of 32 dark and 32 light-colored squares. He was getting bored in a lonely world of 64 squares. He was very weak. He could move to just one square at a time, in any direction: forward, backward, left, right, and diagonals. He would take some rest and then move.

King's moves

While moving, he saw another king, who was black. He could also move one square: forward, backward, left, right, and diagonals.

King's moves

The white king started laughing at the black king because he was black. Now, the black started laughing at the white king and said ”okay, I’m a black, but I have a beautiful queen, who can move in any direction: forward, backward, left, right, and diagonals. As long as there are no other black pieces. What do you have?”

. Queen's moves

The white king was shocked and started to search for a white queen for himself. Soon, he found a beautiful, white queen with the same qualities as the black queen.

Queen's moves

The white king and the black king were always being jealous of each other’s achievements. Whatever, the white king was achieving, the black king’s main goal was to achieve the same thing. Since both white and black kings were too weak, they wished to find more pieces. After a long search, both kings found the black and white rooks respectively, but there was a problem, they could move only straight in any direction: forward, backward, left, right, except the diagonals.

Rook's moves

Both kings wished to have some more rooks. They had their brothers respectively. So, they requested their kings to appoint their brothers. Both kings were wondering, their rooks can move in a straight path only. What if we want to attack each other’s pieces diagonally?

Rook's moves

They tried to train their rooks to move diagonally. The kings were trying to show them how to move diagonally, but the rooks were only moving in a straight or side direction.

Eventually, they gave up their training and began to search for some more good pieces. After a long search, each of them found two bishops. They could move just diagonally. The bishop on the light square could move on light squares, and the other bishop could only move on the dark squares.

Bishops moves

These pieces were not enough for them, they still needed some more pieces. They searched more and found the unique piece, two knights each of them. They could move in an “L” shape in any direction, and they had a special power to jump over the other pieces.

Knights moves

The black and the white kings were very surprised by each other’s achievements. They wished to have some more pieces. After a long search, the white king found a white pawn. It could move two squares forward. The white king was impressed with the pawn. He thought, the pawn always moves two squares ahead, but soon the king noticed that it can move two squares forward just on its first move. For the rest of its moves, it can move only one square forward.

Pawn moves

So, the king was very disappointed with the pawn. He wondered: okay, let's see what if a pawn reaches the other side? So, the king took the pawn to the other empty floor of dark and light-colored squares and ordered to move one side to another side. The pawn started moving from one end to another end. The king was surprised to see the pawn become a queen. The king found some more pawns and tested them, by making them to move from one end to another end. The pawns were being promoted to various pieces, such as queens, rooks, bishops, knights.

Pawns promotions

The white king was totally amazed by this fact but, the black king was totally jealous of the white king.

White pawns

He also began to search for eight pawns. He found the eight pawns finally.

Black pawns

Now, the white king and the black king have established their pieces as their soldiers. They ordered their soldiers to eliminate the opponent’s soldiers. All the pieces started to capture the opponent’s pieces. They could capture the other pieces how they moved. Except for the pawns, they could capture one square forward diagonally. Their main aim was to eliminate the opponent’s pieces and to checkmate. Checkmate is a state when the king is under attack and it can’t move nor capture the opponent’s pieces, escape from the check, or block the attack from other pieces.