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How rooks and bishops move

Straight lines for the rook, diagonals for the bishop.

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What a learner can do afterwards

  • Can explain How rooks and bishops move

The lesson

The rook moves in straight lines. It can go up and down or side to side, as far as you like, until it reaches another piece or the edge of the board.

The bishop moves on diagonals. Each bishop stays on one color for the whole game. You start with one bishop on light squares and one on dark squares.

Good to know

Neither piece can jump. If something stands in the way, the rook or bishop has to stop before it.

Try it together

Put a rook alone in the middle of the board and count its squares. Then do the same with a bishop and see which one reaches more.

Rooks move in straight lines and bishops move on diagonals, and neither one can jump over a piece.

Watch it

Where it sits

Then practise

8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.

How rooks and bishops move · Chess, ages 6 to 9 · LightMySky