Which direction should the knights face on a chess board?

Doesn't matter

I tell them what they're supposed to do, and they usually tell me they're going to go where they want, like wild mustangs.

Do they go to the glue factory then?

Nimzowitsch said you should listen to the pieces when determining where to place them.

Tournament rules say knights should be on of the board. Knights do not need to of Stauton design: they just have to be to here.

So you can use a wine glass as a knight. The have no way of facing any one direction. It is up to you if you want to fill the glass. ;)

Are they allowed to be barefoot, or, are shoes required?

So, you can call 'adjust' and take a needed sip of the wine to 'adjust'. 

Al,

There have been many games where live perfomers have taken the place of chess pieces. They use a large board, and yes, there have been barefooted performers.

Thanks for asking! ;)~ 

I need to find those performers so they'll go where I tell 'em.

You might find this thread interesting... ;)

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/knight-positions---a-wc-study

I place my Knights and Bishops both facing a 45 degree angle towards the center of the board.  Thus keeping a protective eye towards the friendly Monarch and a watchful eye on the opponents Monarch.  My King always places his best face forwards no matter the odds. Queen, Rook and Pawns do not matter, their face is always to the enemy.  Your question is valid, no matter the mindless jesting.  God Speed.

Al,

So why not create such an event? ;)

See my comment but, keeping the knights a the side of the board, will weak your short term plan but can help you to build a lomg term tactics due to safe advancing, far away from pawn attacks but you have to play it carfully due to the fact that your opponent will take them in spot using the bishops and will eagerly looking to put your pawns in disorder when you take the bishops later, that is why you have to be carefully and I didn't see how Magnus play it but it should be at a moments where the bishops has taken another direction. this is my own point of view not refere to any tactics theory just based on my own experience.Let me know your feedback my comment.

i defintley move my horsies around. It has thrown my opponents off everytime. They might not realize it but as long as they look at it when i place it, I can see it in there brow and arm/sholder adjustments....so funny

Turns out the van is the pawns ...

I've never had a chess set with a knight on the horsey though so I still don't know why we call them knights ... or did the knight just fall off the horsey on the sets I've played with?

He, he! Actually you can find knights in the pre-Staunton and artistic sets.

It would make more sense if they were shown

Chess pieces have funny names -

rooks are birds not castles

knights are not the horse they ride on

bishops are men of religion so why are they fighting?

and i don't even know where to start with pawns ...

The variation of chess we know about here took form in Medieval Europe. The different pieces happened to represent the social stratums or groups instead of war squads: monarchy (king and queen, formerly commanders), clergy (bishops, formerly elephants), nobility (knights, formerly cavalry), and peasantry and servants (pawns, formerly infantry).