Editing Chess piece (section)

== Definitions ==
The word "piece" has three meanings, depending on the context.<ref>{{harvcol|Burgess|2009|p=523}}{{harvcol|Hooper|Whyld|1992|p=307}}</ref>
# It may mean any of the physical pieces of the set, including the pawns, but not including the chessboard. When used this way, "piece" is synonymous with "chessman" or simply "man".<ref>{{harvcol|Hooper|Whyld|1992|p=307}}</ref><ref>{{harvcol|Hooper|Whyld|1992|p=200}}</ref> This usage can be seen in chess rule books, such as the FIDE Laws of Chess<ref name="FideLawsOfChess">{{cite web |url=https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 |title=Fide Laws of Chess taking effect from 1 January 2023 |access-date=2025-04-14 |publisher=FIDE |df=dmy-all |archive-date=2023-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230101083033/https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the ''US Chess Federation’s Official Rules of Chess''.<ref name="USCF Rules">{{cite book |last1=Just |first1=Tim |title=US Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess |date=1 January 2024 |isbn=9781797716909 |edition=7th |url=https://new.uschess.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/us-chess-rule-book-online-11-28-24.pdf |access-date=14 April 2025}}</ref>
# In play, the term is usually used to exclude pawns, referring only to a queen, rook, bishop, knight, or king. In this context, the pieces can be broken down into three groups: ''major pieces'' (queen and rooks), ''minor pieces'' (bishops and knights), and the king.<ref>{{harvcol|Brace|1977|p=220}}</ref>
# In phrases such as "winning a piece", "losing a piece" or "sacrificing a piece" and other related contexts, it refers only to minor pieces (bishops or knights). By convention, the queen, rooks, and pawns are specified by name in these cases – for example, "winning a queen", "losing a rook", or "sacrificing a pawn".<ref>{{harvcol|Just|Burg|2003|p=5}}</ref>