chess

Introduction & Top Questions
How do you play chess?
- Algebraic notation
- Moves
  - King
  - Rook
  - Bishop
  - Queen
  - Knight
  - Capturing
  - Pawns
  - Castling
- Relative piece values
- Object of the game
- Game notation
- Conduct of the game
History
- Ancient precursors and related games
- Introduction to Europe
- Standardization of rules
- Set design
- The world championship and FIDE
- Women in chess
Development of theory
- Philidor and the birth of chess theory
- Morphy and the theory of attack
- Steinitz and the theory of equilibrium
- The classical era
- Hypermodernism
- The Soviet school
- The pragmatists
The time element and competition
- Origin of time controls
- Technological improvements
- Standard controls
- Quick chess
- The Fischer clock
- Correspondence chess
Chess and artificial intelligence
- Master search heuristics
- Computer chess
- Computer extension of chess theory
Chess composition
- Studies
- Standard problems
- Heterodox problems

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

A chessboard showing the standard starting position for a game, with white and black pieces arranged in two rows on each side: rooks, knights, bishops, queen, and king on the back row, and pawns in front.

A chessboard with a king piece at the center, surrounded by arrows pointing in all eight directions, illustrating that the king can move one square in any direction.

A chessboard with a black rook at the center, and arrows showing that the rook can move any number of squares vertically or horizontally across the board.

A chessboard with a bishop in the center square and four arrows extending diagonally from it, illustrating that the bishop moves any number of squares diagonally in all directions.

A chessboard diagram with a queen at the center, showing arrows in all eight directions-vertical, horizontal, and diagonal-to illustrate how the queen can move any number of squares in those directions.

A chessboard diagram with a knight in the center square, showing eight arrows that illustrate the L-shaped moves the knight can make in any direction.

A chessboard showing two black pawns: one with an arrow indicating a forward move, and another with an arrow pointing diagonally to a square, illustrating how pawns move and capture.

A Chinese chess board with a yellow grid, labeled rows and columns, and two sets of round playing pieces-black at the top and red at the bottom-arranged in their starting positions, separated by a central river.

Close-up of Lewis Chessmen, intricately carved ivory chess pieces with expressive faces, arranged on a chessboard.

At a Glance

chess summary

Quizzes

The Dating Game: Which Came First? Vol. 2

Related Questions

How are captures recorded in algebraic chess notation?
How are check and checkmate recorded in chess notation?
How are wins, draws, and losses scored in competitive chess?
How did Emanuel Lasker use defensive play and psychology in chess?
How did Garry Kasparov and FIDE disagree over the world championship in 1993?
How did Gioacchino Greco help develop chess tactics?
How did Paul Morphy become recognized as an unofficial world chess champion?
How did Vladimir Kramnik reunify the world chess championship in 2006?
How did castling become part of the rules of chess?
How did chaturanga influence the development of modern chess?
How did en passant become part of the rules of chess?
How did stronger queen and bishop moves change chess games after 1475?
How did the elephant piece in shatranj become the bishop?
How does the queen move in chess?
How is kingside castling written in chess notation?
How is queenside castling written in chess notation?
How many pieces does each player begin with in chess?
How many squares are on a standard chessboard?
How should a chessboard be placed before a game begins?
What are the opening, middlegame, and endgame phases of a chess game?
What do exclamation marks and question marks mean in annotated chess games?
What do files and ranks mean on a chessboard?
When did the pawn gain the option to move two squares on its first move?
When may a player castle in chess?
Where do the White and Black queens begin a chess game?
Which six types of pieces does each chess player have?
Which squares can a knight on e4 move to?
Which ways can a player get out of check in chess?
Who organized the first international chess tournament in London in 1851?
Why did Bobby Fischer lose the world chess title by default in 1975?
Why did François-André Philidor describe pawns as the life of the game?
Why did some medieval kings and religious leaders ban chess?
Why does White move first in chess?
Why is castling illegal when the king passes through an attacked square?
Why is controlling the center important during the opening of a chess game?
Why was chess called the royal game in Europe?
Why was the 1886 match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johann Zukertort important?
When does a game of chess end?
Where did chess originate?
How did chess become popular?
Where did the game Monopoly originate?

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External Websites

World History Encyclopedia - The History Of Chess: A 1500-year-old Strategy Game
Live Science - Who invented chess?
Mavs Open Press - OER Sandbox - Chess- Make your Move Â– Clone backup Copy
The Spruce Crafts - How to play Chess
Official Site of International Chess Federation
Iran Chamber Society - Chess, Iranian or Indian Invention?
Encyclopaedia Iranica - Chess

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

chess - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

chess

game

Written by

Andrew E. Soltis

Solitis is a Grandmaster of chess and one of the most distinguished writers on the game. His column “Chess to Enjoy” is one of the longest-running columns in Chess Life, the monthly publication...

Andrew E. Soltis

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 2, 2026 •History

chess, one of the oldest and most popular board games, played by two opponents on a checkered board with specially designed pieces of contrasting colours, commonly white and black. White moves first, after which the players alternate turns in accordance with fixed rules, each player attempting to force the opponent’s principal piece, the king, into checkmate—a position where it is unable to avoid capture. (Read Garry Kasparov’s explanation of why his experience playing chess against...

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