Chess Pieces That Can Move Diagonally
Knowing how chess pieces move is very important. The more spaces where a piece can move, the more powerful in a game it can be. If a piece can move diagonally, it can be very useful for setting pins, capturing an opponent’s pieces, setting traps, and developing other tactics. Here’s what you should know about diagonal moves in chess:- Which Chess Piece Can Move Only Diagonally?
- More Than Only A Bishop Can Move Diagonally In Chess
- Wrapping Up
Do you know which of these pieces can move diagonally?
Which Chess Piece Can Move Only Diagonally?
Just one piece is limited to diagonal moves. It is the bishop, and its diagonal movement is what defines it.
A bishop can move to only squares of the same color throughout a whole game, which means that it can never capture a piece on a different color than it is on. However, a bishop can go as far as it wants on any diagonal, but like most other pieces, it cannot jump over others.
A bishop moves only diagonally.
A special move by a bishop is known as a fianchetto. It is often used in the openings of games to develop a bishop on a long diagonal by first playing a b- or g-pawn to make room for a bishop where it can attack the center of a chessboard without being brought out into the open.
Fianchettoed bishops occupy long diagonals.
A fianchettoed bishop stays safe and cozy behind pawns. After a player castles, it also may enjoy protection from a king. When bishops are fianchettoed, they occupy the longest diagonal on the board—a great idea because bishops are long-range pieces.
More Than Only A Bishop Can Move Diagonally In Chess
Although a bishop is limited to only diagonal moves, other chess pieces can also make diagonal moves.
Can A King Move Diagonally?
Yes. A king can move in any direction: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. However, compared to the movements of other pieces, its movement is very limited. It can move just one square.
A king can move to any adjacent square not occupied or attacked by an opponent’s piece.
Can A Queen Move Diagonally?
Absolutely. Just like a king, a queen can move diagonally as well as horizontally or vertically. However, unlike a king, a queen can go as far as it wants, although it too cannot jump over other pieces. This expanded mobility makes a queen the most powerful piece on a chessboard.
If you put a queen in the middle of a chessboard, it can go to 27 squares!
Can A Rook Or Knight Move Diagonally?
No, neither a rook nor a knight can move diagonally.
If you need help remembering how a rook moves, just imagine a plus sign (+).
The only piece that doesn't move in a straight line, a knight moves two squares in one direction, makes a turn, and then moves one square more.
A Pawn Moves Diagonally Only To Capture
What about a pawn? Can it move diagonally? Yes, it can, but only to capture an opponent’s piece.
First, how does a pawn move? When it’s moving, it can only push forward and can never move backward. It usually just moves just one square at a time, but it can jump two squares only on its first move.
Next, when can a pawn move diagonally? It is the only piece that doesn't capture the same way that it moves. It moves forward but captures a piece that is one square diagonally in front of it to either side. Capturing is the only time that a pawn moves diagonally.
A special pawn capture is known as en passant. When an opponent advances a pawn two squares with one move and lands right next to a pawn of the other player, an en passant capture can be made.
This kind of capture looks a little different from a regular one. The capturing pawn still moves one square diagonally but lands behind the pawn being captured. This capture is the only one in chess where a piece does not land on the same square as the piece being taken.
Wrapping Up
Four pieces — king, queen, bishop, and pawn — can make diagonal moves in a chess game, although a pawn can move diagonally only to capture an opponent’s piece. Only a queen and bishop can move any length diagonally (until they are blocked by another piece).
Because most pieces can move diagonally, such moves are very common in chess games. If you want to be better at chess, you need to know about diagonal moves and how to make them effectively.