How the Knight Moves in Chess
In the sixth stage, your child learns how the knight moves. It is the only piece that doesn’t move in a straight line and that jumps over other pieces. Your child learns how it moves, captures and attacks several pieces at once. The stage is made up of short videos, explanations and 90 exercises on an interactive board.
What’s in this stage
- How the knight moves in chess — 15 exercises
- Can a knight jump over pieces — 8 exercises
- How the knight captures — 8 exercises
- Squares attacked by several pieces at once — 9 exercises
- How the knight attacks pieces — 12 exercises
- Attacking and capturing with the knight — 14 exercises
- Attacking several pieces at once — 10 exercises
- Test yourself: exercises on everything you’ve learned — 14 exercises
Total: 90 exercises
How the knight moves in chess
The knight moves in an L-shape: two squares along a file or rank, then one square to the side. From the center of the board a knight has 8 moves, fewer near the edge, and only 2 from a corner. With every move the knight changes the color of its square: from a light square it jumps to a dark one, and from a dark square to a light one. A knight is worth 3 pawns, and each player starts the game with two knights.
Can a knight jump over pieces
Yes. The knight is the only piece that jumps over other pieces, both its own and the opponent’s. The only thing that can stop it is one of its own pieces standing on the square it wants to land on.
How the knight captures
The knight captures the same way it moves: if an opponent’s piece or pawn stands on a square the knight can jump to, the knight can capture it. Any pieces in between don’t matter. Capturing isn’t compulsory; if several pieces can be captured, it’s usually best to take the most valuable one.
Squares attacked by several pieces at once
Your child finds squares attacked at the same time by the knight and by other pieces, both their own and the opponent’s. This continues the topic from the queen stage: learning to see which squares are defended.
How the knight attacks pieces
To attack a piece, the knight has to land on a square from which it can jump to that piece. Sometimes a single move attacks two pieces at once.
Attacking and capturing with the knight
Exercises that combine everything: which squares the knight can reach, which pieces it can capture, and which one is best to take.
Attacking several pieces at once
The knight is excellent at attacking several pieces at once, because its attack can’t be blocked by putting another piece in the way, as you can with a rook, bishop or queen. Sometimes, to set up such an attack, the knight first captures another piece.
Test yourself: exercises on everything you’ve learned
A mix of exercises on every topic in this stage. In the next stage: the pawn.