Chess
Chess is a board game for 2 players that takes about 20 minutes. Move six kinds of piece and trap your opponent's king to win. Free. In-browser. No account.
Joining is free, and no account is needed.Learn how to play (3 min)
Chess in 30 seconds
- Set upEach player starts with 16 pieces on an 8×8 board. White moves first.
- Take turnsMove one piece per turn. Landing on an enemy piece takes it off the board.
- CheckWhen your king could be taken next move, you are in check and must get out of it.
- WinNo way out of check is checkmate and you lose. No legal move without being in check is a draw.
At a glance
| Item | This game |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players |
| Play time | About 20 min |
| Type | Board |
| Ranked play | Yes |
| Practice against the CPU | Yes |
| Price | Free (no account needed) |
| Rights holder | A public-domain classic game |
| Last updated | 2026-09-13 |
How to play Chess online
- Tap "Play with friends"A party is created with a 6-character code. No account is needed.
- Send a link or QR codeShare it on LINE, or just read the code aloud.
- Everyone opens it in a browserOnce 2 players have joined, the host taps "Start".
Rule highlights
Setup
- Two players. You need an 8×8 board and sixteen pieces each, one set white and one black.
- Fill your two nearest rows: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook along the back, pawns along the front.
- The queen starts on a square of her own colour. White moves first.
How to play
- Players take turns moving one piece. Moving onto an enemy piece takes it off the board; you may never move onto your own piece.
- A pawn steps one square forward, or two on its very first move, and takes only diagonally forward.
- A knight jumps in an L (two squares then one) and is the only piece that jumps over others. A bishop slides diagonally, a rook along ranks and files, and a queen does both, as far as the way is clear. A king moves one square in any direction.
- If your king and one rook have never moved, the squares between them are empty, and the king is not passing through or landing on an attacked square, you may move both in one turn (castling).
- If an enemy pawn jumps two squares and lands beside your pawn, you may take it diagonally as though it had moved one — but only on your very next turn (en passant).
- A pawn that reaches the far rank becomes any piece except a king (promotion).
- You may never make a move that leaves your own king able to be taken.
Winning
- A king that could be taken next move is in check, and you must get out of it. If no move does, it is checkmate and the player in check loses.
- If you are not in check but have no legal move at all, it is stalemate and the game is drawn.
- The game is also drawn when the same position appears three times, when fifty moves pass with no capture and no pawn move, or when neither side has enough material to give mate.
- You may resign at any time; resigning loses the game.
House rules
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show legal squares | Mark where the selected piece can go. | On | Yes |
| Swap who starts | Swap who plays white after each game. | On | Yes |
FAQ
How many players?
Two. One plays white, the other black.
How long is a game?
About 20 minutes. There is no time limit.
Is there a clock?
No. Take as long as you like over a move.
Can a game be drawn?
Yes — by stalemate, threefold repetition, the fifty-move rule, or insufficient material.
Can I practise alone?
Yes. Press Play vs CPU to play against the computer.
Whose piece artwork is this?
Colin M.L. Burnett's SVG set, used under the BSD 3-Clause licence.
Can I play at school or work (unblocked)?
Yes. Chess runs entirely in your browser, with nothing to download or install, so it works on most school and work networks that block app stores or game downloads. If your network blocks the whole site, ask an administrator to allow boardgamejoin.com.
Is there a 2 player mode?
Yes — Chess is played by exactly 2 people.
Can I play against the computer?
Yes. Press “Play vs CPU” on the Chess page to start right away against a computer opponent — no waiting for other players.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. No app is needed — just open it in a browser. You can join the same party as people on a PC or tablet.
Can two people play?
Yes. This game supports 2 or more players.
Rights holder and physical edition
This is a public-domain classic game. The rules follow the standard reference rules.
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Last updated 2026-09-13 · Run by Qdan, Inc.