How to move the pieces
Ok, so we have the board, we've put our pieces in their place. All that's left is to learn how to move them according to the rules (if only it were that easy). The two players take turns moving their pieces and await their opponents response. As of the late 1800s it's white that always moves first.
The game can only start by a move either of a pawn, or a knight, since knights can jump over other pieces, and are the only piece that can do so.
The King is the most important piece, and also the most vulnerable aside pawns. It can move one square at a time in any dirrection so long as that move does not place it on a square adjacent to the enemy king.
The Queen is the second most valuable single piece on the board. It can move in any dirrection across the board so long as there are no other pieces barring its' way. It is the most powerful piece on the board.
2 Rooks. They are, you've guessed it, the third most valuable piece on the board. It can move up and down columns and lines but not diagonally. Its' importance becomes apparent toward the end of the game after several exchanges have been made and the board isn't ascluttered with pawns.
2 Knights. Although it's importance is inferior to that of the Rook, the Knight is also quite powerful. It can only move in the shape of a letter 'L' , meaning two squares forward and one to the side, jumping over any pieces along the way without being able to attack them. In the ideal case, a knight can attack 8 different positions.
2 Bishops – each player has two of these, starting in squares of opposite color. Bishops can only move diagonally so that their starting colour is fixed throughout the game. Bishops are sometimes considered to be weaker than knights because they can only access half the squares on the board during a game.
8 pawns – as individuals, they are the most dispensable piece in the game, although losing a number of them can become very dangerous. A pawn can move either one or two squares in front (depending on its' current position) and it can only attack diagonally (one square at a time). Pawns cannot move or attack behind them. Pawns can be promoted to any other piece once they have reached the other side of the board.