Goal: Checkmate the opponent's king.

Pawn (♙): Moves forward 1 (or 2 on first move). Captures diagonally. Value: 1

Rook (♖): Moves horizontally/vertically. Value: 5

Knight (♘): Moves in an "L" shape. Jumps over pieces. Value: 3

Bishop (♗): Moves diagonally. Value: 3

Queen (♕): Combines rook + bishop. Value: 9

King (♔): Moves 1 square any direction. Unlimited value!

Always protect your king! Never leave it in check.

1. Castling (♔+♖)
How: King moves 2 squares toward rook; rook jumps over.
When: King/rook never moved, no check, path clear.
Why: Safeguards king + activates rook. Do it early!

2. En Passant (♙)
How: If enemy pawn moves 2 squares, your pawn can capture it as if it moved 1.
When: Only on the very next turn!
Why: Prevents pawns from bypassing capture. Rare but important!

3. Promotion (♙→♕)
How: Pawn reaching 8th rank becomes queen, rook, bishop, or knight.
When: Always on the final rank.
Why: Queen is strongest (9 points), but sometimes knight wins (e.g., forks)!

💡 Tip: Watch for these — they win games!

How Chess Pieces Move:

• Pawn (♙): Moves forward 1 square (or 2 on its first move). Captures diagonally forward. Often moved first to control the center. Value: 1
• Rook (♖): Moves horizontally or vertically any number of squares. Powerful on open files (columns) or ranks. Value: 5
• Knight (♘): Moves in an "L" shape: 2 squares in one direction, then 1 square perpendicular, or vice versa. It can jump over other pieces. Knights are often best placed near the center. Value: 3
• Bishop (♗): Moves diagonally any number of squares. Works well in pairs and on open diagonals. Value: 3
• Queen (♕): Combines the power of a rook and bishop: moves horizontally, vertically, or diagonally any number of squares. The most powerful piece. Value: 9
• King (♔): Moves 1 square in any direction (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally). The game ends if the king is checkmated. Keep it safe! Value: Unlimited (losing the king loses the game)

💡 What Do the Values Mean?

These numbers are relative point values used to evaluate trades:

• Pawn = 1 point — the basic unit.
• Knight or Bishop = 3 points — called "minor pieces".
• Rook = 5 points — a "major piece".
• Queen = 9 points — the most powerful.
• King = invaluable — you lose if it’s checkmated.

✅ Good trades gain material (e.g., rook for knight = +2 points).
❌ Bad trades lose material (e.g., queen for rook = –4 points).

Opening (Moves 1-10)
• Control the center (d4, d5, e4, e5)
• Develop knights & bishops
• Castle early
• Don't move the same piece twice

Middlegame (Moves 10-40)
• Look for tactics: forks, pins, skewers
• Attack weaknesses (isolated pawns, king safety)
• Coordinate your pieces

Endgame (Few pieces left)
• Activate your king!
• Push passed pawns
• Learn basic checkmates (K+Q vs K, K+R vs K)

🧠 Remember: Chess is 90% tactics for beginners!