Light square

A chessboard has 64 squares in an eight-by-eight grid. Exactly 32 are light squares , alternating with 32 dark squares, so any two squares sharing an edge have different colors. “Light” describes the square's place in the pattern, not a mandatory physical color.

When the chess set is oriented correctly, the near-right corner for each player is light. Actual boards may use white, cream, buff, pale wood, or another light shade that contrasts clearly with the dark squares.

A square's color never changes during a game. Bishops move diagonally, so each bishop remains on one square color for the entire game. Other pieces may move between light and dark squares whenever their movement permits.

The Light-Square Complex and Its Bishop

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Every step along the diagonal from d3 preserves the light square color.

A Diagonal That Never Changes Color

The White bishop on d3 travels only through light squares. The Black pawn on g6 occupies another light square and blocks the continuation toward h7, so the complex is independent of piece color.

1. Every step along the diagonal from d3 preserves the light square color.
2. The Black pawn occupies the light square g6 and stops the diagonal before h7.