Chess is the board game that uses kings, queens, rooks, bishops, knights, and pawns.
It is a two-player strategy game played on a board of 64 squares arranged in an 8-by-8 grid. Each player begins with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. Every type moves differently, creating the game’s characteristic mix of tactics and long-term planning.
The game’s objective is checkmate: placing the opposing king under attack with no legal escape. A king is never literally captured; the game ends when checkmate is unavoidable. Special rules include castling, en passant captures, and pawn promotion, usually to a queen.
Chess developed from earlier strategy games played in South Asia, including chaturanga, and spread through Persia and the Islamic world before reaching Europe. The modern movement of the queen and bishop emerged in Europe during the late 15th century, making the game considerably faster and more powerful.