Chess 101 Moving the Knight

I find the knight to be one of the coolest pieces because it can move over pieces, making it sometimes challenging to see where it is going.

We are going over how to move the knight in the opening and in general. This is not a rule but it really will help you play like a pro.

The general rule is never to have your knight at the ends of the board because it limits the knight movement plus makes it easy for your opponent to take it.

Another reason for never moving your knight at the ends of the board is in the example, a move (Knight to h3 - Nh3) was just played. The white’s idea is simple. He wants to develop a knight and bishop following by the king’s side castling.

There is a problem though: the knight on h3.

Not only it’s inactive, but also a target. If white castles short, black would happily exchange their light square bishop for the h3 knight, ruining the white’s pawn structure and exposing the king. Even if the knight is immediately captured, it is still a weakness and can get stuck on h3 for a very long time.

Solution: do not develop your knights on squares like h3 and a3, especially if they can be captured and you are planning on castling. The general rule when it comes to the knights is keeping them as close to the center as possible. Remember, knights at the center, bishop on the flanks.

If you do not know how each piece moves go back to the first lesson https://socialchessclub.blogspot.com/2019/12/chess-101.html

References

Markushin, Y., (2016, Sept. 23). Chess Methods: 7 Chess Moves You Should Never Play.

Retrieved from https://thechessworld.com/articles/general-information/7-chess-moves-you-should-never-play/

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