Short answer: the queen
The queen is the piece people usually mean. She can move horizontally, vertically or diagonally, any number of squares, as long as no piece blocks her path. She captures by landing on an enemy piece in her path.
What “any direction” means for the queen
From the middle of an open board the queen can travel along eight lines: four straight (forward, backward, left, right) and four diagonal. She cannot jump over pieces, and she cannot move in an L-shape; that is the knight’s move. Her flexibility is why she is generally valued at about nine points, compared with five for a rook and three for a bishop or knight. These values are a convention rather than a rule.
The king also moves in any direction
The king can also move in all eight directions, but only one square at a time. So if the question is “which piece can move in any direction”, the complete answer is the queen for long-range movement and the king for single-step movement. For details on the king’s restrictions, see how the king moves.
On whether a king can move one or two squares: one, except during castling.
The knight: eight directions, but a jump
A knight can reach up to eight squares from the center, in all compass directions, but only in its L-shaped pattern, and it jumps over other pieces. It does not move “in any direction” along a line, but it is the one piece not blocked by pieces in between.
Comparison table
| Piece | Directions | Distance | Can jump? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen | Straight and diagonal (8 lines) | Any distance | No |
| King | Straight and diagonal (8 squares) | One square | No |
| Knight | Eight L-shaped destinations | Fixed L | Yes |
| Rook | Straight only | Any distance | No |
| Bishop | Diagonal only | Any distance | No |
| Pawn | Forward only (diagonal captures) | One or two squares | No |
Is the queen the most powerful piece?
Usually, yes. She combines what the rook and bishop can do. But being the most powerful does not make her invulnerable; she can be attacked by weaker pieces and traded or lost. See how to capture a queen. For how the queen got her modern power, see what chess pieces represent.
FAQ
Can the queen move backwards? Yes, see which pieces can move backwards.
Can the queen move diagonally? Yes, see which chess pieces move diagonally.
What are the different types of moves in chess? Sliding moves (queen, rook, bishop), stepping moves (king), jumping moves (knight), pawn moves and captures, and special moves such as castling, promotion and en passant. The full overview is in chess pieces: names and how each moves.