How to play Chess
Chess is played on an 8×8 board between white and black. You control white and move first. Each piece moves in its own way — pawns forward, knights in an L, bishops diagonally, rooks straight, the queen any direction, and the king one square at a time. Click one of your pieces to see its legal moves highlighted, then click where you want it to go. The goal is checkmate: trapping the enemy king so it cannot escape capture. This version handles castling and automatically promotes pawns that reach the far side to queens. If a player has no legal move and isn't in check, it's a stalemate (a draw).
Tips & strategy
- Control the center. Pawns and pieces in the middle of the board reach more squares.
- Develop your pieces. Get your knights and bishops off the back rank early, then castle your king to safety.
- Don't hang pieces. Before every move, check whether the square you're moving to is defended.
- Look for checks, captures, and threats — both yours and your opponent's — on every single turn.
About the game
Chess is one of the oldest and most respected strategy games in the world, with origins over 1,500 years ago in India. Endlessly deep yet governed by simple rules, it has been studied by mathematicians, memorized by grandmasters, and — more recently — mastered by computers. It remains the ultimate test of foresight and planning.