Explanation
Unicode assigns each classical chess piece a stable number called a code point. The series runs from U+2654 through U+265F inside Miscellaneous Symbols, a block or range of related characters. These are text characters rather than embedded images, so they can be copied, searched, stored, and styled like other letters and signs.
- King ♔ and ♚, queen ♕ and ♛, rook ♖ and ♜.
- Bishop ♗ and ♝, knight ♘ and ♞, pawn ♙ and ♟.
Unicode names use white and black to distinguish the two sets, but an application can change their visible color through fonts or styling. The character also does not encode a square, turn, or move: ♘ represents only a knight from the white-named set.
Neutral, rotated, hybrid, and variant pieces appear in the . The precise drawing of any glyph can vary by font while its code point remains unchanged.
Common confusions
Unicode color versus displayed color
White and black are parts of the standardized character names. They do not force a screen to paint the glyph literally white or black.
Sources
- 1.Miscellaneous Symbols, Unicode Consortium
- 2.Chess Symbols, Unicode Consortium
