Chess is played with six different types of pieces: King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Pawn. Each piece has a different name in Hindi and a different way of moving on the chessboard.
If you are looking for chess pieces name in Hindi and English, chess goti names, or chess ke mohre ke naam, this guide explains all six pieces in simple language.
Chess Pieces Name in Hindi and English
Here are the six chess pieces and their commonly used Hindi names:
| Chess Piece | Hindi Name | Pronunciation | Pieces per Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| King | राजा | Raja | 1 |
| Queen | रानी / वज़ीर | Rani / Wazir | 1 |
| Rook | हाथी | Hathi | 2 |
| Bishop | ऊँट | Oont | 2 |
| Knight | घोड़ा | Ghoda | 2 |
| Pawn | प्यादा | Pyada | 8 |
These are the used Hindi names in India. You may come across regional or traditional variations, particularly for the Queen, Rook, and Pawn.
What Are the Six Chess Pieces?
There are six types of chess pieces. Each one has a different role on the board.
1. King – राजा
The King is called राजा (Raja) in Hindi.
Each player starts with one King. The King can move one square in any direction.
The objective of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s King.
2. Queen – रानी / वज़ीर
The Queen has two common Hindi names: रानी (Rani) and वज़ीर (Wazir).
Each player starts with one Queen.
The Queen can move horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and can travel across multiple squares when the path is clear.
3. Rook – हाथी
In Hindi, people commonly call the Rook हाथी (Hathi).
Each player starts with two Rooks.
A Rook moves horizontally or vertically across the chessboard. It can also take part in the special move called castling.
If you searched for “rook in chess meaning in Hindi”, the simple answer is:
Rook = हाथी (Hathi).
4. Bishop – ऊँट
In Hindi, people commonly call the Bishop ऊँट (Oont).
Each player starts with two Bishops.
A Bishop moves diagonally. Because of this, a Bishop that starts on a light-colored square remains on light-colored squares throughout the game, while a Bishop that starts on a dark square remains on dark squares.
If you searched for:
- Bishop in chess in Hindi
- Bishop in Hindi chess
- Bishop chess in Hindi
- Bishop meaning in Hindi in chess
the answer is:
Bishop = ऊँट (Oont).
5. Knight – घोड़ा
The Knight is called घोड़ा (Ghoda) in Hindi.
Each player starts with two Knights.
The Knight moves in an L-shaped pattern: two squares in one direction and one square to the side.
Unlike other pieces, the Knight can jump over other pieces.
6. Pawn – प्यादा
The Pawn is commonly called प्यादा (Pyada) in Hindi. You may also hear सिपाही (Sipahi).
Each player starts with eight Pawns.
Pawns normally move forward but capture diagonally. When a Pawn reaches the opposite end of the chessboard, it can be promoted to another piece, usually a Queen.
What Are Chess Goti and Mohre Called in English?
In everyday Hindi and Hinglish, people often use words such as goti (गोटी) and mohra (मोहरा) when talking about the individual pieces used in chess.
The standard English term is chess piece.
So:
- Chess ki goti → Chess piece
- Chess ki goti ke naam → Names of chess pieces
- Chess ke mohre → Chess pieces
- Chess ke mohre ke naam → Names of chess pieces
- Chess goti name in English → Chess piece name in English
The word goti is informal and can be used for a game piece, while mohra is commonly used for a chess piece in Hindi. The formal English term is piece.
For example, if someone asks:
“Chess ki goti ko English mein kya bolte hain?”
The simple answer is:
Chess ki goti = Chess piece.
How Many Chess Pieces Are There?
There are 6 types of chess pieces, but a standard chess game begins with 32 individual pieces.
Each player starts with 16 pieces:
- 1 King
- 1 Queen
- 2 Rooks
- 2 Bishops
- 2 Knights
- 8 Pawns
Therefore:
6 types of pieces → 16 pieces per player → 32 pieces in total
This distinction is useful because people sometimes ask “How many chess pieces are there?” and “How many types of chess pieces are there?” These questions have different answers.
Chess Board Setup With Piece Names
At the beginning of a standard chess game, the pieces are arranged in a specific order.
For White, the back row is:
Rook → Knight → Bishop → Queen → King → Bishop → Knight → Rook
The eight White Pawns are placed directly in front of these pieces.
Black’s pieces are arranged in the same order from Black’s perspective.
Easy Way to Remember the Setup
The back row can be remembered as:
R N B Q K B N R
where:
- R = Rook
- N = Knight
- B = Bishop
- Q = Queen
- K = King
The Queen is placed on a square that matches her color:
White Queen → White square
Black Queen → Black square
This is commonly remembered as “Queen on her own color.”
Chess Board Pieces Names in Hindi
When looking at a chessboard, the pieces can be identified using their common Hindi names:
राजा → King
रानी / वज़ीर → Queen
हाथी → Rook
ऊँट → Bishop
घोड़ा → Knight
प्यादा → Pawn
The chessboard itself is different from the pieces. A standard chessboard has 64 squares arranged in 8 rows and 8 columns, while the objects placed on the board are called chess pieces.
Chess Pieces Names With Pictures
Pictures can make it easier for beginners, students, and children to recognize the pieces.
A useful labelled chess image should show the six pieces with both their English and Hindi names:

A labelled starting-position diagram can also help you understand where each piece is placed on the chessboard.
Quick Facts About Chess Pieces
- There are 6 types of chess pieces.
- Each player starts with 16 pieces.
- A standard game starts with 32 pieces in total.
- Each player has 1 King and 1 Queen.
- Each player has 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, and 2 Knights.
- Each player has 8 Pawns.
- Chess goti and chess mohra are informal Hindi/Hinglish ways of referring to chess pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
The six chess pieces have these common Hindi names: राजा, रानी/वज़ीर, हाथी, ऊँट, घोड़ा, and प्यादा.In English, they are King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Pawn.
In Hindi, people commonly call the Bishop ऊँट (Oont).
In Hindi, people commonly call the Rook हाथी (Hathi).
In Hindi, people commonly call the Knight घोड़ा (Ghoda).
In Hindi, people commonly call the Pawn प्यादा (Pyada). You may also hear सिपाही (Sipahi).
In English, chess goti means a chess piece.
Chess ke mohre means chess pieces in English.
Each player starts with 16 pieces: one King, one Queen, two Rooks, two Bishops, two Knights, and eight Pawns.
A standard chess game starts with 32 pieces in total, with 16 pieces belonging to each player.
There are six types of chess pieces: King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, and Pawn.
The Hindi word for chess is शतरंज (Shatranj).
In Hindi, people commonly use शतरंज के मोहरे (Shatranj ke mohre) for chess pieces. Individual pieces have their own names such as राजा, रानी, हाथी, ऊँट, घोड़ा, and प्यादा.