How to place the knight?

This may be a silly question, but I'd like your opinions: How do you place the knight on its square? 

Do you put him sideways on a square? Or do you let him look straight ahead? Is there any etiquette to observe how to place them?

In my not yet too many live OTB games, I have encountered all sorts of variations. Some people just bang him down in seemingly random orientation, while others with either meticulously make him look straight ahead - or put him at an angle of 90 degrees on his square. I wonder if there is more to it than just personal "style". 

I like to place him looking straight ahead.

Personally I like to start with both knights facing the king, and keep their orientations throughout the game so I can see where they came from. That's just me though.

It makes no difference. As long as the piece/pawn is centered on the square (i.e. not partially sitting on more than one square) it doesn't matter.

In all my years of playing OTB games, no one including myself has ever had an issue about direction the knight is facing.

In my opinion, anyone who does has some serious mental issues.

Good question, i never think about how you must place him. I learned the knight must look forward, but on a computer you cant show that knight looks forward, i think thats the reason why the knight is puting here at an angle of 90 degrees on his square.

Hmm.... interestingly enough, in the 70's and 80's, pretty much everyone I played, and myself included, had knights facing forward. I remember playing a long series of games with a young fellow in the early 90's who turned his knights sideways, with snout facing to his left, and I tried it, and to this day, I still do it that way. I move pieces with my right hand, and the snout feels right picked up that way. Of course, it doesn't matter in the least. As long as my opponent isn't facing them backward, towards himself, then I don't care what he does. Backward would unsettle me a bit, though.

We could get into the psychological part of this and intimidate the opponent by having the knights always staring down his king... or perhaps a misdirection where the knight is looking away from where he would like to attack... both of these would probably make miniscule difference in an opponent's reaction, but you never know.

Ok good stuff, Guys.

So at least I was not the only one who thought of the question in some manner! 

@tfulk, yes I can relate to backward being a no-no. Also fully understand that you get a good (better) handle on the piece if you grab it sideways.

@Red_Letters, that "psychological part" of the opponent maybe taking offence if your knight keeps staring down his king made me think if there MAYBE was some etiquette of what to do or not.   Happy to hear that this is not so.

Some time ago the same question came up in a forum on chess.com, and from the dozens of answers I remember two : 

1. chess is a visual game, so to see the knights en profil is better ( seeing the small back of that horse may seem to be the back of a bishop...)

2. compare how knights are pictures on your monitor, "en profil" as well.

From what source did you learn this?

What if the orientation of the knights are actually a secret code for your chess-playing friend at the board beside yours at the tournament? The orientation of the two knights could signal the letter and the number of the coordinates!

Da-Waaagh wrote:From what source did you learn this?

learned from a good 1700+ rated chessfriend.

 I learned the knight must look forward.

From what source did you learn this?

1700+ chessfriends: Now the ruling authority over all of chessdom.

If that is meaning cynical: more chessteam players say that cos when people let the knight in all directions looking, the opponent can make a mistake by an attack. I dont know they say the truth, but i think they are right cos they are good and playing in chessteams. Im just a 1200-1500 rated chess.com player.

I place them facing to the side always, usually to the right.

http://www.angelfire.com/fl5/human_fan02/kram_vs_df-1.jpg

http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/79/69179-004-390DF97B.jpg

http://en.chessbase.com/portals/4/files/news/2009/linares/karpov1994.jpg

the class B player should talk to Kramnik, Kasparov, and Karpov and tell them its illegal.

I've never thought about any particular direction for the knights. As long as they do their job properly they could face any direction they please.

You should point them to where they are going so your opponent

won't be caught off guard.

I like to set my king's knight facing the c8 square... because when my thumb and finger grip it, it becomes this orientation anyway.  My queen's knight I don't really care.  After the first move I ignore the orientation.

More info than you wanted to know lol.

You crafty bastard.

Oops, I guess that does look bad on the next page when they can't quickly see that's not what you said.

Yes, all most interesting, hahaa!!

Yeah, I noted the different knight styles with the GM's too. The Karpov picture is cool. At the other end of the spectrum, I've seen Topalov for example is a "knight meticulously forward" GM.