The word 棋子 (qízi), meaning "chess piece" or "game piece," is a transparent compound formed through semantic combination. The first character, 棋 (qí), broadly means "board game" or specifically refers to games like chess or Go, establishing the category. The second character, 子 (zi), is a common nominal suffix that often denotes a small object or item. Therefore, 棋子 logically and directly combines these meanings to signify "a small object belonging to a board game," precisely capturing the concept of a playing piece.