Chessman: Definition, usage, and history

Chessman

Definition

A chessman is any individual piece used in the game of Chess. It is a slightly older, more formal term for what most players today simply call a piece. In traditional usage, a set of chessmen includes all 32 pieces: 16 for White and 16 for Black.

Strictly speaking, chessman refers to the six standard piece types: king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, and pawn. Collectively, these chessmen form a complete chess army and define the character of the game through their different movements and values.

The Set of Chessmen

At the start of a standard game, each player controls the following chessmen:

• 1 King – the most important chessman; its checkmate ends the game.
• 1 Queen – the most powerful chessman, combining rook and bishop moves.
• 2 Rooks – long-range chessmen moving horizontally or vertically.
• 2 Bishops – diagonal long-range chessmen, one on light squares, one on dark.
• 2 Knights – leaping chessmen moving in an L-shape.
• 8 Pawns – the foot soldiers; the only chessmen that move differently from how they capture, and the only ones that can promote into a stronger piece.

Together, these 16 chessmen for each side form the initial array that every game of classical chess begins with.

Usage in Chess Language

In modern chess literature, chessman is less common than piece, but you will still encounter it in:

• Older books and manuals, especially translations of 19th and early 20th century works.
• Historical discussions about the evolution of equipment and set design.
• Art and collecting contexts, where people talk about carved ivory chessmen or Staunton-style chessmen.

In everyday practical play, players are far more likely to say piece or refer to specific chessmen by name: My knight, that rook, his bishops, etc.

Chessmen and Strategy

Understanding the relative roles and values of the different chessmen is central to strategic play:

• Material value: Chessmen are often assigned point values (e.g., pawn = 1, knight/bishop = 3, rook = 5, queen = 9). This helps estimate whether an exchange of chessmen is favorable.
• Piece activity: A well-placed chessman can be more valuable than a passive one, even if their nominal material values are the same. An active rook on an open file or a knight on a strong outpost can dominate the position.
• Cooperation of chessmen: Many classic attacking patterns—like the Back Rank Mate or a bishop-knight mating attack—rely on specific combinations of chessmen working together.
• Exchange decisions: Giving up one type of chessman for another (for example, a rook for a bishop and pawn in an Exchange sac) is a recurring strategic decision.

Historical and Artistic Significance

The design of chessmen has a rich history that runs parallel to the development of competitive chess itself:

• Medieval and Islamic sets: Early chessmen, in shatranj and medieval chess, were often abstract shapes rather than figurative kings, queens, and knights, due in part to religious restrictions on depicting living beings.
• Staunton design (1849): The now-standard Staunton chessmen, named after Howard Staunton, became popular because they are stable, recognizable, and easy to distinguish. FIDE requires tournament sets to be based on this design.
• Collector’s items: Antique chessmen—such as the Lewis Chessmen (12th century Norse pieces found in Scotland)—are prized museum artifacts that also tell us about the cultural history of the game.
• Thematic and novelty sets: Many artistic sets replace standard designs with historical figures, fantasy characters, or cultural symbols, while preserving the functional identity of each chessman.

Examples in Practice

In annotated games and teaching texts, references to chessmen typically appear in more narrative or historical commentary. For instance:

• “By move 20, all of White’s minor chessmen are harmoniously developed, while Black’s pieces are still on their original squares.”
• “Morphy’s effortless coordination of his chessmen in the Opera mate game shows how rapidly developed pieces can overwhelm a poorly organized defense.”
• “The endgame tablebases confirm that with just three chessmen on the board—king, bishop, and knight vs. lone king—checkmate is possible but requires precise technique.”

A simple miniature position showing active vs. passive chessmen:

Here White’s queen and a soon-to-be-activated rook can quickly target Black’s loose queenside chessmen, illustrating how activity often outweighs raw material in the short term.

Chessman vs. Piece: Subtle Nuances

While in most contexts chessman and piece are interchangeable, certain authors use them with a slight nuance:

• Chessman – sometimes used when talking about the physical objects: “The tournament set includes weighted wooden chessmen.”
• Piece – more common in analytical or theoretical contexts: “Sacrificing a piece for long-term initiative can be justified if your remaining forces are very active.”

In rules discussions, you may also see phrases like touching a chessman in the context of the touch-move rule, emphasizing the physical act of moving a specific object on the board.

Interesting Facts and Anecdotes

• In some older English texts, chessmen is also used collectively to distinguish between chessmen and checkers (draughts pieces), especially in books that cover multiple board games.
• Famous world champions often had favorite types of chessmen. For example, many elite players prefer weighted wooden Staunton chessmen for over-the-board tournaments, citing balance and feel as important for concentration.
• In variants like Capablanca chess or Seirawan chess, additional fairy chessmen such as the archbishop or empress are introduced. These are still called chessmen, expanding the traditional army beyond the usual six types.
• Digital platforms also talk metaphorically about chessmen, even though the pieces are just graphics. Some interfaces track which chessmen you’ve lost and which are still in play, reinforcing the idea of a tangible army.

Chessmen and Personal Improvement

Improving players can benefit from consciously thinking about how each chessman contributes to the position:

• Before every move, ask: Which of my chessmen is worst placed, and how can I improve it?
• In the opening, prioritize rapid development of your minor chessmen (knights and bishops) toward the center.
• In the endgame, remember that the king itself becomes an active fighting chessman, not just a piece to be shielded.

Over time, this habit builds an intuitive sense of coordination, helping your chessmen work together efficiently in attack, defense, and maneuvering.

Player Progress Snapshot (Placeholder)

How well a player uses their chessmen is often reflected in their rating over time:

– a sample progression for a player learning to coordinate all their chessmen effectively in the middlegame and endgame.

Personal best performance with careful piece use: