Chess Pieces and How They Move

Before you can play a game of chess, you need to know how to move the pieces (legally). A chess piece’s power is tied to its mobility. The more mobile a piece is, the more powerful it is. Here's how the various pieces can move:
Pawns: Pawns can only move forward. On their first move, they can move one or two squares. Afterwards, they can move only one square at a time. They can capture an enemy piece by moving one square forward diagonally. They can only move diagonally when capturing an enemy piece.

Bishops: Bishops can move any number of squares diagonally.

Knights: Knights can move only in an L-shape, one square up and two over, or two squares over and one down, or any such combination of one-two or two-one movements in any direction.

Rooks: Rooks can move any number of squares, up and down and side to side.

Queens: Queens can move any number of squares along ranks, files and diagonals.

Kings: Kings can move one square at a time in any direction.

Chess is a timeless game of strategy, where each piece has distinct movement rules that shape the battle on the 8x8 board. Let’s explore the key players:
The king, the most vital piece, moves one square in any direction—horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Losing the king means losing the game, so it’s often kept safe in the backline.
Queens are the most powerful, combining the king’s flexibility with range: they can move any number of squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, making them fearsome attackers.
Rooks (or castles) move horizontally or vertically any number of squares, excelling at controlling open files and supporting other pieces. They also play a role in "castling," a special move that swaps the rook with the king to protect the latter early on.
Bishops glide diagonally any number of squares, but each stays on squares of its starting color—one on light squares, the other on dark. Their strength lies in long-range diagonal control, especially in open positions.
Knights have a unique L-shaped move: two squares in one direction and then one square perpendicular, or one square and then two. They’re the only pieces that can jump over others, making them tricky to pin down, ideal for surprising attacks.
Pawns are the foot soldiers with the most unusual movement: they move forward one square, but on their first move, they can choose to go two squares. Unlike other pieces, they capture diagonally—one square forward and to the side. A special rule, "en passant," lets a pawn capture an opponent’s pawn that just moved two squares, as if it had moved one. Pawns also promote to any other piece (usually a queen) if they reach the opponent’s back rank, adding late-game drama.
Mastering how each piece moves is the first step to unlocking the game’s strategic depth!

Matchmaking feels off, skill gaps are too big. What do you guys think?

My willpower is breaking... that sale price is tempting...

This game deserves every award possible.

The online community is super friendly.