Piece

A piece is any of the figures a player moves on the board. Each side begins with sixteen: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. Each type has its own movement and capture rules.

A piece cannot finish a move on a square occupied by another piece of the same color. If an enemy piece occupies the destination and the move is allowed, that enemy piece is removed. Most pieces also cannot pass through occupied squares; the knight is the exception because it jumps directly to its destination.

The word is genuinely ambiguous even within official terminology. In the general rules, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) calls all sixteen units belonging to a player, including pawns, pieces. In the appendix on algebraic notation, the letter-and-number system used to record moves, “piece” means any unit other than a pawn.

Strategic discussion follows a similar convention: “develop your pieces” usually means bringing especially bishops and knights from their starting squares to useful positions. Context determines the sense.