"CHESS AS AN INDIVIDUAL SPORT"

Chess pieces are distinguished by appearance and made of rigid material such as wood,
ivory, or plastic. Pieces are of contrasting colors, commonly white and black. The six
different types of pieces are: King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook and Pawn. Before you
can play a game of chess, you need to know how to move the pieces (correctly). A chess
piece's power is tied to its mobility. That's why knowing the chess pieces is important.

The King (♔, ♚) is the most important part of chess. You can move to the adjoining square or
perform a move called castling. If the player's king is under threat of capture, then he is checked
and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next turn. The main function of the king
is to avoid getting checkmate, that does not mean the king cannot attack a piece. The king can
only move one square at a time, it can move diagonally, horizontally, vertically and even
backwards. The king captures by occupying the square of its opponent just like other chess pieces,
but it cannot move on a square that can be checked by its opponent. Also, the king can never be
captured. The king is the only piece that doesn't have a point value, because it cannot be captured
(an attacked king is in check), and also because checkmating the king is the true goal of any chess
game. The King and Queen are Royalty that are represented in chess.

The Queen (♕, ♛) is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares
vertically, horizontally or diagonally, combining the power of the rook and bishop. Each player starts the
game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. As mentioned, the queen is the
most powerful piece. This is because the queen can attack (or defend) more squares than any other piece.
The queen moves similarly to multiple pieces. It can move in any direction like a king (but the queen is not
limited to a single square). The queen can move the same way a rook can, moving freely up and down on any
file and left and right on any rank. The queen can also move freely on any diagonal like a bishop. In terms of
raw power, the queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard and one of the most iconic pieces in any
board game. In terms of material, it's the most valuable piece in the game of chess (apart from the king, of
course). The queen is the most valuable piece in the game of chess and a key component in countless chess
strategies. In material terms, the queen is valued at nine points. The Queen and King are Royalty that are
represented in chess.

The Bishop (♗, ♝) is a piece in the game of chess. It moves and captures along diagonals without jumping
over intervening pieces. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight
and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen. Bishop's chess pieces move diagonally in
any direction. The rules of chess are that there is no limit to the number of squares a bishop can move on a
chess board unless another piece blocks its path. Bishops capture opposing pieces by landing on the square
occupied by an enemy piece. The Bishop's function is that its long range allows it to both protect your pawns
and threaten your opponent's pawns, making it easier to promote the pawns you have left and eventually
deliver checkmate. In certain situations, having an extra bishop in an endgame is not enough to checkmate
your opponent's king. Also a chess bishop has a value of three points. The bishop stands close to the king and
queen because it represents the church which many royal courts held near and dear to their hearts. It's
also considered the third most powerful piece in chess.

The Knight (♘, ♞) or also called "Horse" is a piece in the game of chess, represented by a horse's head and
neck. It may move two squares vertically and one square horizontally or two squares horizontally and one
square vertically. Each player starts the game with two knights on the b- and g-files, each located between
a rook and a bishop. The Knight is a unique piece – it can move two squares forward or backward and one
square to the side, or two squares to the side and one square forward or backward, so that his movements
resemble the shape of an L. Also, the Knight is the only piece in the game of chess that can “jump over” other
pieces, regardless of whether those pieces are black or white. Knights capture enemy pieces by replacing
them on their square. Knight's function in chess is to have the ability to check and capture pieces like Rooks,
King or Queen. And even if they remain in the crowd of pawns or any other pieces. It can easily escape
capture by hopping over other pieces. The knight on a chess board represents the professional soldier of
medieval times whose job it was to protect persons of rank,

The Rook (/rʊk/; ♖, ♜) is a piece in the game of chess. It may move any number of squares horizontally or
vertically without jumping, and it may capture an enemy piece on its path; additionally, it may participate in
castling. The Rook is the second most powerful piece (behind the queen). The rook can move forward,
backward or sideways, but cannot move diagonally (like a queen or a bishop). The rook can move up or down
vertically on any file. The rook can move as many squares as it likes as long as it is not blocked by another
piece or the square is not occupied. For this reason, rooks are effective when placed on open or semi-open
files (because they are not obstructed by other pieces). The rook can capture an enemy piece by moving to
the occupied square. Please note that the rook cannot jump over pieces like a knight—if it is blocked (like in
the starting position), then it cannot move. Rooks play an important role in supporting the movement of
your other pieces. Rooks are very effective in supporting the advance of your pawns. In the endgame, rooks
are effective in cutting-off the opponent's king from the action. The Rook is considered a major piece
valued at five pawns, two more than a bishop or knight and slightly less than two bishops or two knights. It is
a solid piece representing the relative safety of the castle and home.

The Pawn (♙, ♟) is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess. It may move one vacant
square directly forward, it may move two vacant squares directly forward on its first move, and it may
capture one square diagonally forward. As mentioned, the pawn is the least powerful piece. A pawn moves
forward one square unless it is that pawn's first move. If it is the pawn's first move, then it can move one
or two squares. Please note that if a pawn has already been moved, it can never move two squares again
and the pawn can only move forward if it is not blocked by another piece. Also, there is a special rule in chess
regarding pawn captures known as en passant. If a white pawn is on the fifth rank and a black pawn's first
move places it directly next to the white pawn, then the white pawn can capture the black pawn as if it
moved just one square. This rule also works if a black pawn is on the fourth rank and a white pawn's first
move places it directly next to the black pawn—in this case, the black pawn may capture the white pawn as
if it moved just one square (but only for this move). So far the pawn doesn't seem too powerful, right? Well,
pawns have the unique ability to be able to be promoted into a knight, bishop, rook or queen. If a white pawn
reaches the eighth rank or if a black pawn reaches the first rank, then that pawn gets promoted. It is up to
the player who is promoting a pawn to decide which piece they are promoting to, although most of the time
promoting to a queen is the desirable choice. Also, a pawn is worth one point. The pawns represent the
soldiers protecting the royal court behind them and they are the first line of defense against invaders.