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Beginner lesson 2/20
How the pieces move
Understand the legal movement of every chess piece.
Learn this chess concept step by step, then practise it on the interactive ChessRivo board.
Open interactive lessonAbout this lesson
Each piece has a different movement pattern, and mastering these patterns is the foundation of the game.
Key ideas
- Rooks move in straight lines.
- Bishops move diagonally; knights jump in an L-shape.
- The queen combines rook and bishop movement; the king moves one square.
Coach tip: Knights are the only pieces that can jump over other pieces.
Test yourself
Which piece can jump over other pieces?
- Bishop
- Knight
- Rook
Show answer
Correct answer: Knight
Practise this lesson interactively
Open the ChessRivo Academy board exercise for this exact lesson. Your progress is saved when you are signed in.
Open interactive lessonHow to use this lesson in a real game
Turn the idea into a repeatable decision process.
- Before moving, name the position feature this lesson is about.
- Find one candidate move that follows the lesson idea and one alternative.
- After the game, return to the critical position and compare your choice with the lesson.