How to play chess
Chess is played on an 8x8 board by two players, White and Black. White always moves first, then the players take turns, one move each.
- The goal. Checkmate the enemy king: attack it (give check) so that it cannot escape, the attacker cannot be captured and the check cannot be blocked.
- King. Moves one square in any direction, never onto a square attacked by the enemy.
- Queen. Moves any number of squares in a straight line or diagonally: the strongest piece.
- Rook. Moves any number of squares along a rank or a file.
- Bishop. Moves any number of squares diagonally and stays on one square color all game.
- Knight. Jumps in an L shape (two squares one way, one square sideways) and is the only piece that jumps over others.
- Pawn. Moves one square forward (two from its starting square) and captures one square diagonally forward.
On the board, possible moves show as dots, captures as rings around the target, and the last move stays highlighted. When your king is in check its square turns red.
Special moves and how a game ends
| Rule | How it works |
|---|---|
| Castling | Move the king two squares toward a rook, and the rook jumps to the other side of the king. Allowed only if neither piece has moved, the squares between are empty, and the king is not in check and does not pass through an attacked square. |
| En passant | When a pawn moves two squares and lands beside an enemy pawn, that pawn may capture it as if it had moved one square, but only on the very next move. |
| Promotion | A pawn reaching the last rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight. You choose the piece. |
| Checkmate | The king is in check and has no legal way out. The game is over and the attacker wins. |
| Stalemate | The player to move has no legal move but is not in check. The game is a draw. |
| Other draws | The same position three times, 50 moves by each side with no capture and no pawn move, or not enough pieces left to checkmate. |
Play chess against the computer: four levels
The computer looks ahead through possible moves and replies before it plays. The level decides how far and how carefully it looks. Your choice is remembered, and after a win the result card offers the next level up.
| Level | How it plays | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Looks only at the next move and its captures, and often picks a looser move. It does leave pieces hanging. | Learning how the pieces move, kids, first games |
| Medium | Looks a few moves ahead and spots simple tactics, with the odd inaccuracy. | Casual players who know the rules |
| Hard | Searches deeply for over a second per move and punishes most mistakes. | Club players and regular online players |
| Expert | Uses its full search time on every move and always plays the move it rates best. | Strong players who want a real test |
Undo takes back your last move, Hint shows a strong move for your position, and Flip turns the board. A game in progress is saved as you play, so a refresh or a closed tab does not lose it.
Chess tips for beginners
- Control the center. Start with a center pawn (e4 or d4 for White) so your pieces have room.
- Develop knights and bishops early. Bring them out before moving the same piece twice or going after pawns with the queen.
- Castle in the first ten moves. It tucks the king away and connects your rooks.
- Check every capture and every check. Before each move, look at what your opponent threatens and whether any of your pieces is undefended.
- Count before you trade. A pawn is worth about 1, a knight or bishop 3, a rook 5 and a queen 9. The numbers next to the captured pieces show who is ahead.
- Use your king in the endgame. With few pieces left, the king becomes a strong attacking piece.
Want to sharpen your tactics? Train forks, pins and mates with rated chess puzzles.
Chess online with friends
Every game starts with a choice of opponent:
- Play online to be matched in a few seconds with whoever is available.
- Play with a friend to get a private link. Send it in any chat app, and the game starts as soon as your friend opens it. Nobody needs an account.
- Play solo against the computer at the level you choose, at your own pace.
Online, the first player takes White, and each player sees their own pieces at the bottom. Quick messages such as "Good luck!" and "Nice move!" are one tap away, you can resign a lost position, and a rematch is offered when the game ends.
Chess on your phone or tablet
The board scales to your screen, and every move is two taps: the piece, then the highlighted square. Dragging works too. Pawn promotions open a small picker, and the captured pieces and material count sit above and below the board. For one-tap access you can add NitroPlayer to your home screen.
A short history of chess
Chess grew out of chaturanga, a game played in India around the sixth century. It traveled through Persia to the Arab world and then to Europe, where the queen and bishop gained their long-range moves around the end of the fifteenth century, giving the fast modern game. The first official world champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, was crowned in 1886.
More board games to try
Enjoy thinking ahead? Jump and crown pieces in checkers, flip discs in Reversi, or race your pieces home in backgammon.
