The pawn is the most numerous but weakest piece. It can only move forward. On its first move, it can advance one or two squares. Afterward, it can only move one square at a time. Pawns capture diagonally, one square forward.
The rook moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically. It is a powerful piece, especially when working with other rooks.
The knight moves in an "L" shape: two squares in one direction (horizontally or vertically) and then one square at a 90-degree angle. The knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces.
The bishop moves any number of squares diagonally. Each player starts with two bishops, one on a light square and one on a dark square. They can never leave the color of their starting square.
The queen is the most powerful piece. She can move any number of squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, combining the powers of the rook and bishop.
The king is the most important piece, but also one of the weakest. It can move one square in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally). The goal of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king!