harry potter - Why did Ron sacrifice himself in the game of wizard chess?

At the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Ron sacrifices himself in a game of wizard chess so that Harry would be free to checkmate the king.
However, I don't understand why Ron was even sitting on the back of the knight in the first place. Harry and Hermione had to play because there were two pieces missing from the board, but Ron did not need to take the place of the knight, as there was already a knight on the board. He could have controlled the game from the sidelines and not been injured.
Is there something I have missed as to why he was even on the board in the first place?

Answer

In the novel it's a little clearer. The knight tells him that he has to take the place of a piece in order to cross the board. Once he makes his selections, three pieces clear the board at his command:

‘I think,’ said Ron, ‘we’re going to have to be chessmen.’
He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight’s horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

‘Do we – er – have to join you to get across?’
The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other two.

...

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board leaving three empty squares which Harry, Ron and Hermione took.

In the film, only two pieces are missing, one assumes because it creates more dramatic effect for Ron to steer the battle on horseback like a young Napoleon:

As to why he sacrificed himself, it should be fairly obvious that Ron recognises the danger inherent in Voldemort getting back to full health. When he spots a "win condition" he takes it:

The film version makes his thought process rather clearer than the novel:

Harry: He's going to sacrifice himself!

Hermione: No you can’t! There must be another way!

Ron: Do you wanna stop Snape from getting that Stone or not? Harry, it’s you that has to go on. I know it! Not me! Not Hermione! You! Knight to H-3. (He moves) Check. (The Queen makes her move and smashes the horse he’s on to bits. Ron flies off and lands in a heap on the floor.) Ah!

Comments

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