Play Chess Online Free

Play chess online for free, right in your browser. Take on the computer at three difficulty levels or challenge a friend on the same device, and choose whether to play as White or Black. Every official rule is included, from castling and en passant to pawn promotion. It suits beginners learning how the pieces move and experienced players who want a quick game. Your game is saved as you play, so a refresh will not lose it.

How to play

1. White moves first. Players take turns moving one piece each.
2. Each piece moves in its own way: pawns forward, rooks in straight lines, bishops diagonally, the queen in any direction, knights in an L-shape and the king one square.
3. Capture a piece by moving onto its square.
4. Attack the enemy king (check) so that it cannot escape. That is checkmate, and you win.
5. Castling, en passant and pawn promotion are all included.

Controls

• Click or tap one of your pieces to select it. The squares it can legally move to are highlighted.
• Click or tap a highlighted square to make your move. Click another of your pieces to change your selection.
• When a pawn reaches the last row, choose the piece you want to promote it to.
• Use Undo to take back a move, or New game to start over.

Tips and strategy

• Fight for the center early. Pawns and pieces on the central squares control more of the board.
• Develop your knights and bishops before moving the same piece twice, and castle early to keep your king safe.
• Before every move, ask yourself what your opponent is threatening. Many games are lost by missing a simple capture.
• Do not bring your queen out too soon. It can be chased around by smaller pieces while you lose time.
• When you are ahead in material, trade pieces. A simpler position is easier to win.

Game modes and difficulty

Play against the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard. Easy makes friendly mistakes and is ideal for learning, Medium gives a fair fight to casual players, and Hard looks further ahead and punishes careless moves. You can also choose 2 Players to play with someone on the same device, taking turns. Captured pieces are shown beside the board so you can follow the material balance.

History and background

Chess grew out of chaturanga, a game played in India around 1,500 years ago. It spread to Persia, where it became shatranj, and then through the Arab world into Europe. The pieces and their moves changed along the way, and by the end of the 15th century the queen and bishop had gained their modern long-range powers.

Today chess is played by millions of people in almost every country, in clubs, schools and online. It is valued as a test of planning, patience and imagination, and many people find that even a few games a week sharpen their focus.

Frequently asked questions