Kings, Knights, and Pawns
Start Here beginner branch
Kings step one square, knights hop in an L-shape, and pawns march forward with their own special rules.
Why This Matters
- Kings are precious: they step only one square and cannot walk into an attacked square.
- Knights move in an L-shape and are the only pieces that can jump over other pieces.
- Pawns move forward, capture diagonally, may move two squares on their first move, and can promote when they reach the end.
Objectives
- Move the king one square in any direction without walking into danger.
- Use the knight's L-shape jump over other pieces.
- Explain pawn direction, the double-step from the starting square, diagonal captures, and a first look at promotion.
Guided Interactive Lesson
Lesson Line
- Nf3
- Kd7
- e4
- Ke6
- Ke2
- h5
- e5
Practice Positions
Find the move yourself — the answer stays hidden until you solve it or reveal it.
Practice 1 of 5
Knights can jump. Hop the knight from b1 to c3 over the pawn wall.
Practice 2 of 5
Kings move one square at a time. Step the king from e1 to e2.
Practice 3 of 5
Push the white pawn two squares from e2 to e4.
Practice 4 of 5
The pawn cannot capture straight ahead on e5, but it can capture diagonally forward. Take the black knight on d5.
Practice 5 of 5
Push the pawn to the last rank and promote it to a queen.
Mini-Game
Try legal king, knight, and pawn moves only. Notice that the knight can hop, kings step one square, and pawns only march forward.
Printable Move-by-Move Boards
Print one board per step to review the full sequence offline.
Open printable version