About Chess
Chess is the world's most famous strategy game, and chess apps remain among the most downloaded board games. Our version runs in your browser with full official rules.
Choose an Easy computer that makes casual moves, a Medium one that looks two moves ahead, or a Hard one that looks three moves ahead.
Chess at a glance
| Genre | Board game |
|---|---|
| Price | Free, no download or sign-up |
| Controls | Tap |
| Typical game length | 10 to 30 minutes |
| Lives | None |
| Works on | Phones, tablets and computers, in any modern browser |
| Daily challenge | Yes, the same puzzle for everyone each day |
How to play Chess
- Tap a piece. Dots show every legal move.
- Tap a highlighted square. To make your move.
- Watch for check. The king's square turns red when it is attacked.
- Checkmate to win. Trap the king so it cannot escape.
Rules
- All standard rules apply, including castling, en passant and pawn promotion (to a queen).
- Stalemate, bare kings or a very long game end in a draw.
Levels and difficulty
Easy, Medium and Hard computer opponents.
Scoring
A win scores more the faster you checkmate; captures add points and harder opponents multiply the total. Daily challenge scores can be shared with friends.
Tips and strategy for Chess
- Control the center with pawns and knights early.
- Develop your pieces before moving your queen a lot.
- Castle early to keep your king safe.
- Before every move, check what your opponent is threatening.
History of the game
Modern chess rules took shape in southern Europe around the late 1400s, developing from the Indian game chaturanga via Persian shatranj.
How we built and tested Chess
Our move generator matches the standard reference counts for chess positions (20, 400 and 8,902 positions after one, two and three moves from the start), confirming it produces exactly the legal moves. The Hard computer takes about a third of a second per move.
Frequently asked questions
Does it support castling and en passant?
Yes, all standard rules are included.
What happens when a pawn reaches the end?
It promotes to a queen automatically.
How strong is Hard?
It looks three moves ahead and punishes loose pieces.