Learn what each piece is and how it moves. Every type of piece moves differently. Here are the names of every piece and how they move (with one or two exceptions, that we'll cover in a bit):
The pawn: The most basic piece in the game (you have 8 of them). On its initial move, it can move forward one or two spaces, but it is only allowed to move forward by one space afterwards. Pawns are only allowed to attack other pieces one space diagonally from it, and cannot move backwards.
The rook: It looks like a castle tower. It can move horizontally and vertically as many spaces as are available. It can attack pieces in its path.
The knight: It's represented by a horse and is the most complicated unit. It moves in an 'L' shapes that consist of two spaces horizontally then one space vertically, or one space horizontally then two spaces vertically, in any direction. The knight is the only piece that can jump other pieces. He attacks only the pieces that are in the spaces he settles.
The bishop: It can only move diagonally, but it can move an unlimited amount of spaces until it attacks. It's shaped like a bishop's hat.
The queen: She is the most powerful piece (usually has a more feminine crown). She can move either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally by any number of spaces and attack from any of those directions.
The king: He can only move one space each turn in any direction and attacks in the same manner. He is the unit you do not want to lose at all costs, as it will make you lose the game.
Remember the strong points of the pieces.
The king is invaluable and must be protected.
The queen is the most versatile piece and is the most useful for supporting pieces, and often used for forking. The queen combines the power of a bishop and a rook in one piece. She is considered to be the most valuable, next to the King.
Knights are excellent for surprise attacks and forks.Their pattern of movement is often missed and confusing to novice players.
Bishops tend to be an excellent in an open position. However many novice players often underestimate bishops and do not make full use of them.
Rooks are strong and have a long range of movement. They work best on open files.
Pawns may seem insignificant, but they can be great for trapping an opponent when sacrificed to capture a more valuable piece. If played right, a pawn can even checkmate the King!