What is a knight move trainer?
A knight move trainer is a short, timed drill that teaches you to see knight jumps instantly. A knight and a target square appear on the board, and you find the fastest way there, one L-shaped jump at a time. It’s chess knight move training focused on the piece that confuses players most: the only one that doesn’t move in a straight line and the only one that jumps over others.
The aim is to stop working out knight moves square by square. After some practice you see a knight on c3 and simply know it covers b1, a2, a4, b5, d5, e4, e2 and d1, and that it needs three moves to reach the square straight in front of it. That speed pays off in every game: you spot forks sooner, find better squares for your knights and notice enemy knight tricks in time.
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How to play this knight move trainer
There are two modes. Both run against the clock, and each keeps its own best score on your device.
Knight routes
- Pick Knight routes above the board and press Start. A 3, 2, 1 countdown gives you a moment to get ready.
- A knight and a blue target appear. The prompt tells you how many moves the shortest route takes.
- Tap the squares the knight jumps to, one jump at a time. Small dots show the legal moves while you’re learning.
- Reach the target in the fewest moves to score. If your route runs longer, the trainer shows you a shortest one before the next puzzle.
- Keep going until the timer runs out, then try to beat your best.
How many moves?
- Pick How many moves? and press Start.
- A knight and a target appear, but this time nothing moves.
- Count the jumps in your head and tap the number, or press 1 to 6 on your keyboard.
- A right answer scores a point. A wrong one shows the correct number and a shortest route.
- It’s pure visualization: the knight only moves in your mind.
The gear icon next to the board lets you play from Black’s side, hide the legal-move dots or the coordinates, choose a 1, 2 or 3 minute run, or turn the sound off.
How do chess knight moves work?
The knight moves in an L shape: two squares in one direction, then one square to the side. It’s the only piece that can jump over other pieces, so a crowded board never blocks it. Every jump also changes the colour of its square: a knight on a light square always lands on a dark one, and the other way round. The FIDE Laws of Chess put it formally: the knight moves to one of the nearest squares that is not on its own rank, file or diagonal.
How many moves a knight has depends on where it stands. In the middle of the board it controls eight squares, but in a corner only two. That’s the reason behind the old saying “a knight on the rim is dim”.
| Where the knight stands | Examples | Legal moves | Squares like this |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centre | c3 to f6 | 8 | 16 |
| Second ring | c2, b4, f7 | 6 | 16 |
| Edge, away from the corners | c1, a4, h5 | 4 | 16 |
| Diagonally next to a corner | b2, g2, b7, g7 | 4 | 4 |
| Edge, next to a corner | b1, a2, h7 | 3 | 8 |
| Corner | a1, h1, a8, h8 | 2 | 4 |
How many moves does a knight need?
Away from the edges, the number of jumps depends only on where the target is. These are worth learning by heart:
Near the edges these numbers can grow. From a1, b2 is only one square diagonally, yet the knight needs four moves to get there. The longest trip on the whole board is six moves, from a corner to the opposite corner, such as a1 to h8.
| The target is… | Examples from d4 | Knight moves |
|---|---|---|
| An L away | e6, f5, c2 | 1 |
| Two squares straight | d6, f4 | 2 |
| One square diagonally | e5, c3 | 2 |
| Three squares diagonally | g7, a1 | 2 |
| One square straight | d5, e4 | 3 |
| Two squares diagonally | f6, b2 | 4 |
Knight training methods: chess drills with only a knight on the board
Some of the best knight move training uses nothing but a single knight on an empty chessboard. These four classic methods work at every level, and the first two are built into this trainer.
Shortest route
Choose a start and a target and find the fewest jumps between them. It builds the instant sense of distance you need in real games.
Count without moving
Look at two squares and say how many moves it takes, without touching anything. The knight moves only in your head, which makes this pure visualization training.
Knight’s tour
Visit all 64 squares exactly once. This classic puzzle teaches you how a knight gets around the edges and corners.
Forbidden squares
Place an enemy queen on the board and move the knight between squares without ever stopping on a square the queen attacks. It trains routes and danger spotting at the same time.
Chess visualization training with the knight
Knight moves are ideal for visualization training because the knight’s path is never a straight line your eyes can follow. To make the trainer harder as you improve, first turn off the legal-move dots in the settings, then hide the coordinates, and spend more time in How many moves?, where the knight moves only in your mind. If square names still take you a moment, warm up with Chess Coordinate Training first.
Saying routes out loud helps too. “b1, c3, d5” is a sentence your brain remembers far better than a picture, and it’s exactly how strong players think about knight manoeuvres.
How to find the best knight move
These rules of thumb help in the drills and in real games.
Use the colours
A knight changes colour on every jump. If the target is the same colour as the knight, the route takes an even number of moves; if not, an odd number.
Go through the centre
Central squares give the knight the most options, so shortest routes often pass through the middle of the board.
Respect the corners
Corners and edges cut a knight down to two, three or four moves. Expect an extra jump whenever your route touches the rim.
Find the stepping stones
For a target two moves away, look for squares that are one jump from both the start and the target. Those are your stepping stones.
In games, look for outposts
The best knight move in a real game often lands on an outpost: a central square protected by your own pawn that enemy pawns can no longer attack.
Watch for forks
A knight attacking two pieces at once is one of the most common tactics in chess. The faster you see knight jumps, the sooner you spot forks.
Knight move trainer FAQ
How do I get better at knight moves?
Train a little every day with short routes, starting with the legal-move dots on. When routes feel quick, hide the dots, then practise How many moves? to move the knight in your head. A few minutes a day works better than one long session, and the other trainers cover the rest of the basics.
How many squares can a knight move to?
Up to eight. A knight in the centre (c3 to f6) has eight moves, on the second ring six, on most of the edge four, next to a corner three, and in a corner only two.
Can a knight reach every square on the board?
Yes. A knight can get from any square to any other, and it never needs more than six moves. Six are only needed between opposite corners, such as a1 and h8.
Why does a knight always change square colour?
Each jump goes two squares one way and one square the other, three in total, which is an odd number. That always lands on the opposite colour, and it’s why the colour tip above works.
What is the knight’s tour?
A classic puzzle in which the knight visits all 64 squares exactly once. It isn’t part of this trainer, but once knight routes feel easy, it’s a great next challenge.
Should I play with the hints on or off?
Keep them on while the L shape still takes thought. Turn them off once you score well, because real games don’t show you the dots.
Is this knight move trainer free?
Yes. It’s free, needs no account and works on phones, tablets and computers. Your best scores stay on your own device.