Every Chess Piece RANKED
The definitive list
Whether you’re an old-school fan who still plays under seventh-century India rules, or you got into it with the classic fifteenth-century European remastered version, chess is one of the most successful games of all time. But without its pieces, chess would be little more than a square board that looks like it got lost on its way to a ska concert. They may work together, but not all chess pieces are equal, so get ready for some surprises as we go through our definitive ranking of chess pieces.
6. Pawn
We hate to pick on the little guy, but let’s face it: nobody comes to the chessboard for the pawns. Aside from every beginner’s first win using a pawn rush, the squat pieces are nothing but cannon-fodder. The Magikarp of chess pieces, a pawn is most useful if you invest the time to grind EXP and promote it to a queen. But not even the ability to move two spaces initially can move the pawn out of last place.
5. King
The first big surprise on this list. Sure, the king is the piece you must protect, which led to it being ranked highly on historical lists. But with advances in gaming, it’s time to face the facts: moving in eight directions used to be impressive, but the king’s minuscule area of effect means that most of the time you’ll be treating it like an NPC on an escort quest. When you’re on par with an identically named checkers piece, you know you’re in chess trouble.
4. Knight
Old-school chessheads may bristle to see the knight down in this spot. Back in the ’70s and into the early ’80s, the L-shaped movement was wildly popular, which maybe says more about the recreational substances of the era than it does about the knight’s merits. Nowadays, its jumping ability is mainly used for speedruns, and we can recognize the knight as an interesting experiment that didn’t quite pan out. A fun oddity for more esoteric gamers, the knight can’t jump out of the bottom half of the rankings.
3. Bishop
Sturdy, reliable, and just a little unpredictable with its diagonals, there’s a reason the bishop is so widely beloved. With its non-orthogonal movement, the bishop balances power and speed, and excels at long-distance flanking maneuvers. For many gamers, this piece was an early favorite, and no developer would think of putting out a new edition of chess without it. Yet it is not as customizable as some other pieces, which limits its finesse and keeps it in third place.
2. Rook
In some ways, the rook feels like a throwback. It lacks the cool diagonal zip of its episcopal cousin, but in the hands of a seasoned pro the rook is an absolute beast. What gives it an especial edge is the hidden weapon that for years was called a cheat code by some: castling. Once a secret passed from player to player, in 1989 Chess Power magazine officially confirmed the rumor that by leaving the king and a rook untouched, then clearing all the spaced between them, players could no-clip the pieces through each other. It’s the cherry on top of already great sundae of a chess piece.
1. Queen
No surprises here: this is the undeniable champ. Early concerns that the queen was a game-breaker quickly dissipated when gamers realized that the piece is far more than an overpowered tank. Equally adept at support roles and even stealth attacks, versatility makes the queen true chess royalty. And those few old-school hobbyists who still think the queen’s base stats are overpowered can mod it back into the weaker and less-popular (with good reason) vizier. But the rest of us gamers recognize the ruler of the chessboard.
Up next: The 5 best opening bids in bridge (plus one secret bid the pros use)
