Chess Basics: How to use your knights effectively

In the game of chess, the knight and the bishop are termed as minor pieces, and has been assigned a value of three points each. While bishop can move either forward or backward in diagonals depending upon the color of its initial square, the knight is one special piece among all the other pieces in the board, because it has a unique movement. Moreover, it is the only piece that can jump across any piece as long the piece is not in its destination square.

No other piece has the capability to jump over other pieces. This unique feature of the knight should be used effectively. Some of the tips for putting the knight to effective use are given hereunder.

For example, the knights ideally placed in d5 or e5 in case of white pieces, and in d4 and e4 in case of black pieces, are very powerful. However, they are not as powerful if placed in d4 and e4 in case of white pieces, and d5 and e5 in case of black pieces.





Similarly, knights either on c5 or f5 will be a formidable threat to the opponents, while the knights in c4 or f4 or not a big threat to the opponent in most cases.

The greatest utility of knight in the game of chess is the capability of forking. One of the most important chess strategies and chess tactics is the fork. The fork with a check on the king has won many queens and rooks because the knight's jumping over other pieces and unusual move pattern makes it a sneak attack that is hard but not usually impossible to see.

The two rooks can also be forked. It will theoretically win the exchange because only one rook can move at a time. But the game of chess is more complicated than just the strategy of winning the exchange by a fork of the knight. A sacrifice of the exchange has won many games against an unwary opponent. The knight is superior to the bishop in some endings. It is rare but possible for the knight to be superior to the rook. Some of the masters of the nineteenth century used the power of the knight in some positions.

Defending against the knight can be done with an exchange of knights or bishop for knight. But if you exchange a bishop for a knight that is in a superior position, do not exchange your remaining bishop for one of your opponent's knights because then you will be up against two bishops with two knights. Then just about all you can do is trade one of your opponent's bishops for one of your knights, unless you have a winning attack on the king. In the endgame, one way to defend the king against the knight is to take the diagonal opposition of one square or any odd number of squares. This will make it so the knight cannot check the king for about seven or eight moves.