How the Knight Moves in Chess
The knight is the piece beginners find strangest, and the one that wins them the most surprising games once they get it. It is the only piece that jumps.
Step 1 of 4
The L-shape
A knight moves two squares in a straight line and then one square to the side, making the shape of a capital L. From d4 that gives eight possible squares. A knight on a light square always lands on a dark one, and the other way round.
Collect the stars
Each star is exactly one knight's jump from the last.
Your move
Jump the knight onto each of the three stars.
Jump over pieces
The knight is surrounded by its own pawns, and it does not matter. The knight jumps over anything in its way, friend or enemy, and only the square it lands on counts.
Your move
Jump the knight to the star.
Capture with the knight
A knight captures the piece on the square it lands on. Two black pieces are a knight's jump away here.
Your move
Capture the black rook.
What you learned
- A knight moves in an L: two squares one way, then one square to the side.
- It jumps over any piece in its way.
- It captures by landing on an enemy piece.
In this course
Unit 1The pieces
Unit 2Special moves
Unit 3Winning the game
Unit 4Your first tactics
Unit 5Checkmate patterns
Unit 6More tactics
Unit 7Opening principles
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