Each piece has its own way of moving and capturing. Knowing them exactly, including the special pawn rules, is the first step to playing legal, purposeful moves.
Key principles
- Knights jump in an L and are the only piece that can jump over others
- Pawns move forward but capture diagonally
- En passant is only possible on the very next move after a two-square pawn advance
- A pawn reaching the last rank must promote
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that en passant expires after one move
- Thinking a pawn can capture straight ahead