Check & checkmate
Your king is "in check" when an enemy piece threatens to capture it, and you must immediately move out of check. If no legal move can escape check, that's checkmate and the game ends.
Chess board and controls
Click or tap a piece to see its legal moves, then click a highlighted square — or simply drag the piece there.
Game status
White to move.
You always play the side you chose above; switch sides to play Black instead.
Captured pieces
Captured by White
Captured by Black
Move history
Moves will appear here as you play.
How to Play Chess
Chess is played on an 8×8 board between two sides, White and Black, who move one piece per turn with the goal of checkmating the opponent's king. Here's a quick refresher on how each piece moves, plus the special rules this game enforces for you automatically.
Pawn
Moves forward one square (two on its first move) and captures diagonally one square forward. Reaching the far rank promotes it to a queen, rook, bishop, or knight.
Knight
Moves in an L-shape: two squares in one direction, then one square perpendicular. It's the only piece that can jump over other pieces.
Bishop
Slides diagonally any number of squares and always stays on the same square color for the whole game.
Rook
Slides horizontally or vertically any number of squares, and takes part in castling with the king.
Queen
The most powerful piece — combines the rook's and bishop's moves, sliding any number of squares in any direction.
King
Moves one square in any direction. Protecting it is the whole point of the game — you may never make a move that leaves your own king in check.
Stalemate & draws
If the side to move has no legal moves and isn't in check, it's a stalemate — a draw. Games also draw by insufficient material, the fifty-move rule, or threefold repetition, all detected automatically.
Castling
A king and a same-side rook that haven't moved can castle: the king slides two squares toward the rook, and the rook hops to the square beside it — as long as the king isn't in, through, or landing in check.
En passant & promotion
If an enemy pawn advances two squares past your pawn, you may capture it "en passant" as if it had moved one square — but only on your very next move. Pawns that reach the last rank promote, and you'll be asked which piece to become.
Moving pieces
Click or tap a piece to highlight its legal destinations, then click one to move — or press, drag, and drop the piece directly onto its target square.
Adjusting difficulty
The AI difficulty selector controls how many moves ahead the computer calculates, from a quick one-move Easy setting up to a deeper four-move Expert search.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I play chess against the computer?
Choose whether you want to play White or Black from the side selector, pick a difficulty level, then move pieces by clicking or tapping a piece and clicking a highlighted square, or by dragging it there. The computer automatically replies after each of your moves.
What is castling and en passant?
Castling is a special move where the king moves two squares toward a rook and the rook jumps to the square beside the king; it is only legal if neither piece has moved, the squares between them are empty, and the king is not in, through, or landing in check. En passant lets a pawn capture an enemy pawn that has just moved two squares forward as if it had only moved one square, but only on the very next move.
Can I adjust the AI difficulty?
Yes. Use the difficulty selector to set how many moves ahead the computer searches, from Easy (1 move ahead) to Expert (4 moves ahead). Higher difficulty plays stronger but takes a bit longer to think.
Is this chess game free to play?
Yes. This is a completely free browser chess game with no download, no account, and no in-app purchases required.
Does it work on mobile devices?
Yes. The board and controls resize for phones and tablets, and you can move pieces with a tap or by dragging them with your finger.
What happens when the game ends in a draw?
The game announces a draw by stalemate, insufficient material, the fifty-move rule, or threefold repetition, and you can start a new game immediately with the New Game button.