Also known as the royal game, it probably came to Europe from India via Persia. It is one of the most complex board games on earth, the number of possible positions is estimated at over 1043, with the simplest rules, which takes place on a square with 8 by 8 alternating black and white squares.
The king, an old man with a lot of experience, but already a little weak on his feet, can only walk one step per turn, but in all directions. He prefers to stay in the back row, sheltered from the people on his feet.
The queen, a beautiful young lady full of energy and a thirst for adventure, powerful yet fragile, can conquer any square in any direction in an instant, the only thing she cannot do is jump. But at the beginning of the game, the queen holds back and lets her foot soldiers prepare her field of action in the form of pawns, bishops and knights.
The horse, also called a knight, often young and impetuous, can jump over squares and walls, always in the form of a capital L. Thanks to this possibility, the horse can threaten two opposing pieces simultaneously with one jump, and the opponent only has the choice of which piece has to leave the board prematurely.
The bishop, one at home on the white square, its twin brother on the black square, enjoys having a clear path across the board. A bishop together with a pawn is a strong pair that can only be attacked at a loss.
The towers, the guardians on the board, are strongest when they have free access to their twin brother. These lines of force are ideal for pinpoint attacks as well as for a strong defence.
The pawns, the foot soldiers in chess, often underestimated in the game, can build incredibly strong lines of defence together and at the same time prepare the ground for an attack step by step.
And if a pawn reaches the other side in the endgame, the pawn can be converted into any piece except a king.
On its first move it can storm one or two squares forwards, but it can only eat an opponent's piece diagonally to the left or right.