Quick answer
Chess is played by two players on an 8×8 board. Each side starts with 16 pieces: a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns. White moves first, and you win by checkmate: attacking the enemy king so that it has no way to escape.
Try it: move the white pieces
This is the starting position. Tap or drag any white piece to see where it can go. White always moves first.
Don't worry about Black here: this board lets you explore. To play a real game, go to the home page.
The goal of the game
You win by checkmating your opponent's king. You never actually capture the king. Instead, when the king is attacked and has no way out, the game ends.
- Check: the king is attacked. The player must get out of check right away, by moving the king, blocking the attack, or capturing the attacker.
- Checkmate: the king is in check and there's no legal way out. The game is over.
- Stalemate: the player to move is not in check but has no legal moves. The game is a draw.
The board
The board has 8 rows (called ranks, numbered 1 to 8) and 8 columns (called files, lettered a to h). Every square has a name, like e4 or h8. Always place the board so each player has a light square in the bottom-right corner. See how to set up the board.
The pieces
Each side has 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights and 8 pawns. Here's a quick summary; try each piece on its own board.
- King: one square in any direction.
- Queen: any number of squares in a straight line or diagonal.
- Rook: any number of squares along a rank or file.
- Bishop: any number of squares diagonally.
- Knight: in an L-shape, and it can jump over other pieces.
- Pawn: one square forward (two on its first move), captures one square diagonally forward.
There are also three special moves: castling, en passant and promotion.
How a game can be a draw
- Stalemate: the player to move has no legal moves and is not in check.
- Insufficient material: neither side can possibly checkmate, for example king against king, or king and knight against king.
- Threefold repetition: the same position appears three times with the same player to move.
- The 50-move rule: 50 moves by each side without a capture or a pawn move.
- Agreement: both players agree to a draw.
Five tips for your first games
- Control the center with your pawns and pieces.
- Bring out your knights and bishops early.
- Castle to keep your king safe.
- Before every move, check what your opponent is threatening.
- Count material: a pawn is worth 1, knights and bishops 3, a rook 5, a queen 9.
Frequently asked questions
Who moves first in chess?
White always moves first. After that, the players take turns, one move each.
Can the king capture pieces?
Yes. The king can capture an enemy piece on any square next to it, as long as that piece isn't protected.
Can you castle out of check?
No. You can't castle while in check, through a square that's attacked, or into check.
How long does a chess game take?
It depends on the time control. Casual games without a clock can take 20 minutes to an hour. Online blitz games take 3 to 10 minutes.