Chess: Rules and How to Play
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.
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 and scoring
- 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.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | For games that allow a draw, ratings do not change. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| 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 |
Terms
- Check
- Your king could be taken on the next move.
- Checkmate
- You are in check and no move gets you out. The game ends here.
- Stalemate
- You are not in check but have no legal move. The game is drawn.
- Castling
- A special move that shifts your king and one rook in a single turn, usually to tuck the king away safely.
- En passant
- Taking a pawn that just jumped two squares as though it had only moved one. Available on that turn alone.
- Promotion
- A pawn reaching the far rank turns into another piece — nearly always a queen.
FAQ
What happens when my pawn reaches the end?
It becomes any piece except a king. A panel opens on the board so you can pick a queen, rook, bishop or knight.
When can I castle?
When the king and that rook have never moved, the squares between them are empty, the king is not in check, and neither the square it crosses nor the square it lands on is attacked.
What if I miss an en passant capture?
You lose it for good. It is only available on the turn straight after the enemy pawn's double step.
Can I make a move that exposes my king?
No. The board simply will not accept it.
What is the fifty-move rule?
Fifty moves by each player with no capture and no pawn move means a draw. Here it is applied automatically.
What counts as insufficient material?
King alone, king and one knight, king and one bishop, or one bishop each on same-coloured squares — positions where mate is impossible.
Can I turn off the legal-square marks?
Yes, in the party settings. They are on by default.
What is castling?
A special move that shifts the king and a rook together in one turn. It tucks the king into a safer corner and brings the rook toward the centre. See “When can I castle?” for the exact conditions.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-09-13 · Run by Qdan, Inc.