Yes, but to maintain the conceit of chess being like a battlefield, it is nicer to think of knight pieces as being jumping cavalry (however unrealistic that is)

Yes, but to maintain the conceit of chess being like a battlefield, it is nicer to think of knight pieces as being jumping cavalry (however unrealistic that is) rather than ghosts or owning a portal gun. I suppose the actually intended analogy is that by riding a horse, the character is more evasive and can slip past another unit without being blocked. Also, I suppose that rooks must have wheels on, and a door that a king can only walk through in rare circumstances.