Basically, you have to know what the different types of chess pieces are. They have generally become a well-known part of the culture and anyone should be able to look at a chessboard and recognize it for what it is. The king, queen, bishop, knight, rook, and pawn are highly symbolized pieces, and each has a special set of rules, moves, and uses. However, what many people don’t know, even if they have experience with the game, is exactly why those pieces are called that. These chess pieces did not originate as kings, queens and the like, but simply found their most popular form in them.

The chess pieces, when the game was originally conceived in India, were all based on elements of warfare. Infantry and cavalry, elephants and chariots were represented by pieces much like pawns, knights, bishops, and rooks. These pieces played the game, trying to dominate the other player’s army. As the game spread to East Asia, the pieces changed a bit, but still retained a military theme. The most important piece at this stage, instead of being called a King, was generally called a General. Even when the game was eventually ported to Europe, the game didn’t catch on until the pieces were redesigned with a court-like theme instead of the popular military theme.

The pawns kept the idea of ​​the infantry and grew to represent the peasants from a court. They were considered expendable pieces, since the entire game was based on protecting the court. During the Medieval Chess phase, however, these pieces were given a little more substance, and each particular Pawn was usually given a name related to a given commoner’s occupation. Some peons were considered to be city guards, farmers, merchants, doctors, and innkeepers. While these special ranks didn’t denote anything special about pawns, they did try to give the game of chess a bit more history and make things a bit more diverse.

The tower originally symbolized a chariot and the word itself sounds very familiar to the Persian word for “chariot”. These Persian war chariots were often heavily armored with fortified stone, giving the chess piece the image of a mobile building. The design eventually morphed into a turret and the modern Rook was born. Knights are usually represented by horses and are quite plain in their history and appearance. They have never had drastic changes in meaning or appearance.

The bishops seem to be generated from the Staunton chess set. They are given a tall hat, much like a bishop’s miter. This shape, however, also pays homage to the original shape of the bishop, with the traditional deep groove also symbolizing the tusks of the elephant that the piece initially represented. The Queen, however, has had the biggest transformation over time. Originally, she was only allowed to move one space diagonally and jump like a horse only once in a game, in 1600, the piece was given the powers she is given today. Also, the king went from being a general to keep the theme of the modern court. Just like a general at the head of a war, a country is powerless without its king, making it the most important piece in a chess game.