chess

Chess is a two-player strategy game played on an eight-by-eight board. Each side starts with sixteen pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. The goal is to checkmate the opponent’s king, leaving no legal escape.

Players alternate turns, moving one piece at a time. The queen moves any number of squares in any direction; rooks horizontally or vertically; bishops diagonally; knights in an L; pawns forward one, with an optional two on the first move, capturing diagonally. Special moves include castling and en passant. If the king is in check and cannot escape, it is mate.

A game may end in a draw by stalemate, insufficient material, threefold repetition, the fifty-move rule, or by agreement.

Chess originated in medieval India and evolved through Persia and the Arab world before reaching Europe, where standardization occurred in the 19th century. The modern game is governed by FIDE, the World Chess Federation. Notable world champions include Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Kasparov, Anand, and Carlsen.

Chess is played worldwide at casual and professional levels. Titles such as Grandmaster and International Master are awarded by FIDE. The game features extensive opening theory, tactics, endgames, and a large ecosystem of tournaments, databases, and computer engines that support study and competition.