Before strategy, before tactics, before the deep waters of theory — there's just six little shapes on a board, each with its own way of getting around. Knowing how they move is half the battle. The other half is, well, the rest of this app.
Pawns shuffle forward one square at a time (two on their first move), and capture diagonally. They're the foot soldiers — slow, stubborn, occasionally the heroes of the endgame. Bishops glide along diagonals forever. Rooks roll along ranks and files. Queens do both because queens get to do whatever they want.
Knights are the weirdos. They move in an L — two squares one direction, one square perpendicular — and they're the only piece that can hop over others. They're frustrating to play against and magical to play with. The king moves one step in any direction, and never into danger. He's the whole point of the game.
The knight's L. From e4 it reaches eight squares — and nothing in the way matters.
Bishops are diagonal creatures. From d5, this one sees all the way to h1.
Mini-puzzle
Black left a pawn hanging on d6. Your knight on e4 has a free meal — find the L-shape.