From the view-point of the _Knight_, the surface of the Chess-board takes
on the aspect of a densely wooded and entirely undeveloped country; made
up of a profusion of ponds, rivulets, swamps, etc., none of which are
impassable although sufficient to impede progress.
Unless interfered with by kindred or hostile corps, or the limitations
of the Chess-board, the Knight always may move either in two, four, six,
or eight directions. It may reach any desired point in a minimum of one
and a maximum of six moves, and may occupy the sixty-four squares of the
Chess-board in the same number of marches.
The weakness of the topographical horizon of the Knight lies in the fact
that it never commands adjacent points, nor any of those distant, other
than the termini of its own obliques. Hence it is open to unopposed
attack along verticals and horizontals from the adverse King, Queen and
Rooks, and along diagonals from the adverse King, Queen, Bishop and Pawns.