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Worksheet: Kings, Knights, and Pawns

Topic: basics | Level: 1 | Start Here branch

Kings step one square, knights hop in an L-shape, and pawns march forward with their own special rules.

Why This Matters

  • Kings are precious: they step only one square and cannot walk into an attacked square.
  • Knights move in an L-shape and are the only pieces that can jump over other pieces.
  • Pawns move forward, capture diagonally, may move two squares on their first move, and can promote when they reach the end.

Objectives

  • Move the king one square in any direction without walking into danger.
  • Use the knight's L-shape jump over other pieces.
  • Explain pawn direction, the double-step from the starting square, diagonal captures, and a first look at promotion.

Practice Tasks

  1. Draw a knight's L-shape and write two squares it could jump to from b1.
  2. What is the biggest safety rule for kings?
  3. Write the special pawn rules: first move, captures, and promotion.

Board Walkthrough

Follow the lesson one board at a time. The teacher answer key includes the move list.

Board 1
Board 2
Board 3
Board 4
Board 5
Board 6
Board 7
Board 8

Practice Positions

Solve each position on paper first. Answers live only in the separate teacher/parent key.

Practice 1

Knights can jump. Hop the knight from b1 to c3 over the pawn wall.

Practice 2

Kings move one square at a time. Step the king from e1 to e2.

Practice 3

Push the white pawn two squares from e2 to e4.

Practice 4

The pawn cannot capture straight ahead on e5, but it can capture diagonally forward. Take the black knight on d5.

Practice 5

Push the pawn to the last rank and promote it to a queen.

Mini-Game

Try legal king, knight, and pawn moves only. Notice that the knight can hop, kings step one square, and pawns only march forward.

Answer Key

Kings, Knights, and Pawns

Teacher/parent key for Worksheet: Kings, Knights, and Pawns.

Worksheet Answers

  1. Prompt: Draw a knight's L-shape and write two squares it could jump to from b1.

    From b1, a knight could jump to a3, c3, or d2 if those squares are legal in the position.

  2. Prompt: What is the biggest safety rule for kings?

    A king moves only one square and may never move into check.

  3. Prompt: Write the special pawn rules: first move, captures, and promotion.

    A pawn moves forward, can move two squares only on its first move, captures diagonally, and promotes when it reaches the last rank.

Model Line

  1. Nf3
  2. Kd7
  3. e4
  4. Ke6
  5. Ke2
  6. h5
  7. e5

Practice Position Solutions

Kings, Knights, and Pawns — Practice 1

Knights can jump. Hop the knight from b1 to c3 over the pawn wall.

Solution: Nc3

A knight does not need a clear path. It jumps straight to its L-shaped landing square.

Kings, Knights, and Pawns — Practice 2

Kings move one square at a time. Step the king from e1 to e2.

Solution: Ke2

Kings may move one square in any direction, but never two squares in one move.

Kings, Knights, and Pawns — Practice 3

Push the white pawn two squares from e2 to e4.

Solution: e4

A pawn may move two squares only on its very first move.

Kings, Knights, and Pawns — Practice 4

The pawn cannot capture straight ahead on e5, but it can capture diagonally forward. Take the black knight on d5.

Solution: exd5

Pawns move forward, but captures are different: a pawn takes one square diagonally forward onto an enemy piece.

Kings, Knights, and Pawns — Practice 5

Push the pawn to the last rank and promote it to a queen.

Solution: d8=Q+

When a pawn reaches the farthest rank, it promotes. Most of the time, a new queen is the best choice.