Chess

Chess is a very old board game. Two players face each other across a board with 64 squares. Each player has 16 pieces, like pawns, knights, and a king. The goal is to trap the other king in a move called checkmate. Chess takes thinking and planning instead of running or jumping.

The Pieces

Each piece moves in its own special way. Pawns move forward one square at a time. Knights move in an L shape and can jump over other pieces. Bishops move diagonally, while rooks move in straight lines. The queen is the strongest piece and can move any way. The king can only move one square at a time.

A chess board set up with all the pieces ready to play.
A chess board set up with all the pieces ready to play. (Bubba73 (talk), Jud McCranie / Wikimedia Commons)

Chess History

Chess began in India over 1,500 years ago. It spread to Persia, then to Europe, where the rules changed over time. Today, chess is played all over the world. The best players are called grandmasters. Chess is even played on computers and online against other people.

Fun Facts

  • There are more possible chess games than there are atoms in the universe.
  • The longest official chess game had 269 moves.
  • A computer named Deep Blue beat the world chess champion in 1997.

Did You Know?

The word 'checkmate' comes from an old Persian phrase meaning 'the king is helpless.'