Before we jump into knight moves in chess, let’s have a brief introduction about all the chess pieces. The king, queen, rook, bishop, pawns and of course, knight are the six chess pieces.
The game of chess has six types of pieces among which knight is an important piece which can strategize one’s game of chess completely. The knight possesses a very primitive position in the history of chess whereby the game has been adopted from Chaturanga in the 6th century BC. The knight constitutes the head of a horse and is also in general terms called a “horse”. The piece of the knight is the same in all forms of chess which are played in various countries across the globe.
Across many common regional languages, the knight is also called the “jumper” because of its movement in the chessboard.
What is a Knight in Chess?
A knight is a warrior in the game of chess which looks similar to that of the horse. Each player has two knights which are always placed between the rook and the bishop on each side.
The knight has three points in chess therefore, the status of a knight and a bishop is equal in chess.
Knight Moves in Chess
The child should learn the knight moves in chess once s/he has learnt the basic details of chess. Before learning the knight moves in chess, one should first learn-
- The number of pieces
- The names of each of the warriors
- The positioning of various pieces in the chessboard
A knight has a unique move in chess which is different from any other pieces in chess. All other chess pieces move in straight line way while the knight moves in an “L” shape. This knight move makes the game of chess quite interesting and attractive to the players. The knight move is a bit complicated to understand at first because of its offbeat character of the movement.
Also read Top 10 Social Benefits of Online Chess Classes
The knight which lies on the white square ends up in the black square while the knight which starts its game from the black square ends up in the white box.
It almost moves like a real horse in the game of chess. The knight moves-
- Sideways to two squares and then one square in front or,
- Two squares in front and one square sideways
Strategy of using a knight in the game of Chess
The knight can be used as a masterpiece to take your game to the next level. Strategizing the knight moves in chess and using it tactfully may prove to be quite useful. There are various strategies for using it in a proper manner.
- The very first principle is that the knight has the ability to travel a maximum of three squares at a time. Hence, its movement is quite limited in the game of chess. Unlike the bishops, rooks or the queen, it does not possess the ability to move any number of squares. This makes it important to optimise its usefulness by placing it in the middle of the board. It will help the knight to attack a maximum of opponents’ pieces.
- The next strategic factor may be that the knight staying in the middle of the post, which tends to attack the other side’s pieces, are also vulnerable to get attacked itself. So, the players should find a proper place in the mid-board which is not going to get attacked by its enemies and are also known as the “outposts” in the game of chess.
Keeping your knight safe by placing it in the safest possible place can improve your chances of attacking the king and protecting your own pieces in a proper manner.
Best Use Of Knights Moves
- Knights must be brought into the game of chess early as it is believed that knight is not a very good choice for end-game. Rather knight is the one which can be brought right after your pawns move on the chessboard. Moving your knight in the middle of the board may help you to get greater control over the game.
- One should be aware that the knight is not trapped by its limitation of moves. It is more susceptible to fall under the traps of the opponents’ bishops or maybe an unnoticed pawn.
The knight’s L shaped move and its ability to jump over the opponents’ piece gives it a unique opportunity. It can attack two enemy pieces at the same time and make the opponent fall in dilemma which piece to save. This phenomenon of the knight to attack its opponent may be termed as forking the knight.
- The knight may also prove to be helpful in threatening the opponents’ king with its unique move by giving it a threat and then finally going into a checkmate. The knight when used properly may take over even the most powerful piece in the game which is the queen and hence must be used in a decisive manner throughout the game.
Also read Quick Guide to Opening, Middle and End Games in Chess
When is Knight more helpful in Comparison to the Bishop?
A comparison is always drawn between the moves of a knight and that of the bishop as it has equal points status (three points each) in the board of chess. But the main advantage of a knight is that the knight does not succumb to the opponents’ obstruction which is common to a bishop or a rook. Moreover, bishops are often attacked by that of the pawns and are often susceptible to its attack which possibility is less in case of a knight.
Concluding Note on Knight Moves
The knight may act on the chessboard in a mesmerizing fashion once its movement and play are designed in a strategic manner. Losing a knight or both can act out to be a major drawback in the game of chess. Practising the moves of a knight is very significant for the ones who are in the learning phase. Generally, the knight is used before moving the rooks or the bishops. Protecting your knight can prove useful in even later stages of the game of chess.
Knights are also considered bad in case of defending in the game of chess. So, preferably the knights must only be used to attack the opponents’ pieces and not try to defend the king.
