Major piece

A major piece, also called a heavy piece, is either a rook or a queen. Each player begins with three: two rooks and one queen. Both can cross an entire horizontal row, called a rank, or vertical column, called a file, in one move when the path is clear; the queen can also move diagonally.

The category contrasts them with minor pieces, meaning bishops and knights. On a conventional scale for comparing forces, a rook is worth about five pawns and a queen about nine, compared with roughly three for a minor piece. These are practical estimates, not values written into the rules.

With help from its king, a single rook or queen can force checkmate against a lone king when played correctly. Checkmate is the position in which the king is attacked and no permitted response exists. That ability helps explain why the two are grouped as major pieces. The king, although decisive to the result of the game, is not part of this terminology.