Chess
Trap the enemy king to win the game.
How to play Chess
Chess is played by two players on a board of 64 squares. Each player starts with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. White always moves first, then the players take turns moving one piece at a time.
Goal
Attack the enemy king so that it cannot escape. This is called checkmate, and it wins the game at once. A king that is under attack is "in check", and the player must fix that on the very next move.
How the pieces move
- King: one square in any direction. It may never move into check.
- Queen: any number of squares in a straight line or along a diagonal.
- Rook: any number of squares up, down, left or right.
- Bishop: any number of squares along a diagonal, so it always stays on one colour.
- Knight: an "L" shape: two squares one way, then one square to the side. It is the only piece that can jump over others.
- Pawn: one square straight forward, or two squares on its first move. It captures one square diagonally forward.
Pieces capture by moving onto a square held by an enemy piece. Only the knight can jump; all other pieces stop when something is in the way.
Special moves
- Castling. The king moves two squares toward a rook, and the rook jumps to the other side of the king. Neither piece may have moved before, the squares between them must be empty, and the king may not be in check or pass through an attacked square.
- En passant. If a pawn moves two squares and lands right next to an enemy pawn, that enemy pawn may capture it as if it had moved only one square. This is allowed on the very next move only.
- Promotion. A pawn that reaches the far row turns into a queen, rook, bishop or knight. Most players pick a queen.
End of the game
Checkmate wins. The game is a draw by stalemate (the player to move has no legal move but is not in check), when the same position appears three times, after 50 moves by each side with no capture and no pawn move, or when neither side has enough pieces left to checkmate.
On this site, tap a piece to see its legal moves, then tap a glowing square. The last move is highlighted and the full move list sits under the board. Want something different? Try Chinese Chess.
Strategy tips
- Fight for the centre. Start with a centre pawn, such as e4 or d4. Pieces in the middle of the board control more squares.
- Bring out your pieces early. Move knights and bishops off the back row before you move the same piece twice or rush out the queen.
- Castle soon. Castling tucks your king behind pawns and brings a rook toward the middle. Try to do it in the first ten moves.
- Count before you capture. A pawn is worth 1, a knight or bishop 3, a rook 5 and a queen 9. Only trade when you get at least as much as you give.
- Check every move for threats. Before you move, ask what your opponent's last move attacks. Many games are lost to one undefended piece.
- Use your king in the endgame. When the queens are gone, the king becomes a strong fighter. March it toward the centre and help your pawns promote.
Chess FAQ
How strong is the computer?
Easy plays fast and often makes loose moves, so it is good for learning. Medium thinks for about a third of a second. Hard searches for close to a second and will punish most mistakes.
Can I play with the black pieces?
Yes. Set "First move" to "Computer first". The computer then plays White, and the board turns around so your pieces are at the bottom.
Why did the game end in a draw?
A draw happens by stalemate, when the same position appears three times, after 50 moves each with no capture or pawn move, or when no one has enough pieces left to checkmate. The game spots all of these for you.
How do I castle or promote a pawn?
To castle, tap your king and then the glowing square two steps to the side. When a pawn reaches the last row, a small menu lets you pick a queen, rook, bishop or knight.
