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How Does the Knight Move in Chess?

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The knight moves in an L-shape: two squares in a straight line, then one square at a right angle (or one then two — same shape). It is the only piece that can jump over others, friendly or enemy, and it always lands on the opposite colour from where it started.

On this page
  1. The L-shape
  2. The jump
  3. Colour switching and the fork
  4. Keep learning

The L-shape

Picture two-then-one: go two squares in one direction and one square at a right angle, and you have a knight move. From some central squares the knight can reach eight squares; from a corner it reaches only two. Central knights often have more options, but an edge square can still be correct when it creates a threat, blocks a pawn, or begins a useful route.

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White knight on d4. Pick it up to see all eight L-shaped destinations.

The jump

Unlike every other piece, the knight ignores whatever stands between its starting and destination squares. In the starting position the knights are the only non-pawn pieces that can move immediately, hopping over the pawn wall. This can make a knight useful in a blocked position where a bishop or rook has no open line.

Colour switching and the fork

A knight changes square colour every move: from a light square it can only land on a dark one, and vice versa. Its attack cannot be blocked, so it is a common source of forks. A knight that checks the king while attacking the queen often wins material, but calculate whether the knight can be captured or the queen can be saved while the check is answered.

Counting trick: a knight always needs an odd number of moves to swap to the opposite colour and an even number to return to the same colour.
Can a knight jump over pieces?Yes — it is the only piece that can. Nothing in between matters; the knight only cares whether its landing square is empty or holds an enemy piece.
How many squares can a knight attack?Up to eight from some central squares, but as few as two from a corner. Central squares often improve a knight’s mobility, though the best square depends on its targets and route.
Why is the knight good at forks?Its L-shaped attack cannot be blocked, and it can hit two targets at once. A check-plus-attack fork is forcing, but it wins material only if the defender cannot capture the knight or answer the check while saving the other target.

Practise with the knight vs StockfishSolve knight-fork puzzles

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