Tap a piece to see where it can go, then tap a square to move. The computer plays the other side. Choose Easy, Medium or Hard, pick your colour, or switch to two players and share one device.
The game follows the full rules of chess: castling, en passant, pawn promotion, check, checkmate, and draws by stalemate, repetition, the fifty-move rule and insufficient material.
You can take a move back with Undo, flip the board to see it from the other side, and read the full move list in standard notation underneath. Beating the computer earns fun points, saved only in your browser.
Easy makes human-like mistakes and is a good way to learn. Medium looks a couple of moves ahead. Hard thinks for over a second a move and will punish loose pieces, but it is a small engine in your browser, not a tournament program.
How to play chess
Chess is played on an 8×8 board. Each side starts with sixteen pieces: eight pawns, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, a queen and a king. White always moves first, and players take turns. The aim is to checkmate the opponent's king, which means attacking it so that it cannot escape capture.
How each piece moves
- King: one square in any direction. It can never move into check.
- Queen: any number of squares in a straight line or diagonal. The strongest piece.
- Rook: any number of squares along a row or column.
- Bishop: any number of squares diagonally, so it stays on one colour of square for the whole game.
- Knight: an L-shape, two squares one way and one to the side. It is the only piece that can jump over others.
- Pawn: forward one square (two from its starting square), but it captures one square diagonally forward.
Special moves
Castling moves the king two squares towards a rook and the rook jumps to the other side of it. It is only allowed if neither piece has moved, the squares between them are empty, and the king is not in check and does not pass through an attacked square. En passant lets a pawn capture an enemy pawn that has just moved two squares, as if it had moved only one. Promotion turns a pawn that reaches the far row into a queen, rook, bishop or knight of your choice. In this game a small menu appears so you can choose.
How a game ends
A game ends in checkmate, a win for the side giving it, or in a draw. Draws happen by stalemate (the player to move has no legal move but is not in check), by threefold repetition of the same position, by the fifty-move rule (fifty moves each with no capture or pawn move), or when neither side has enough pieces to force checkmate.
Beginner tips
- Control the centre. Pawns and pieces on or near the four middle squares reach more of the board.
- Develop your pieces. Bring knights and bishops out early rather than moving the same piece twice.
- Castle early. It tucks your king away and brings a rook into play.
- Check before every move. Ask what your opponent's last move threatens and whether your piece is now undefended.
- Trade when ahead. If you are up material, swapping pieces makes the lead count for more.
- Do not rush the queen out. An early queen is easy to chase around.
A little history
Chess grew out of an Indian game called chaturanga from around the sixth century. It travelled through Persia and the Arab world to Europe, where the queen and bishop took their modern powers in the late fifteenth century. Computers began beating strong human players in the late twentieth century, and today even a phone app can outplay a world champion, which is why playing for fun against a friendly level is a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Is the chess game free?
Yes. No account, no download and no payment.
Can I play a friend?
Yes. Choose Two players and take turns on the same device.
Does it know all the rules?
Yes, including castling, en passant, promotion and every kind of draw.
How strong is the computer?
Easy is beatable by beginners, Medium suits improving players, and Hard is a solid challenge for casual players.
Can I take a move back?
Yes. Undo takes back your last move and the computer's reply.
Can I play as Black?
Yes. Choose Black under You play and the board turns around.