Play Chess Online for Free

Chess is a complex game that requires logical and strategic thinking, as well as the ability to plan several moves ahead. On SolitaireSite.com, you can familiarize yourself with chess as a beginner, face a real or virtual opponent, play against yourself, or replay a documented game.

Starting Screen and Chess Setup

A chessboard consists of eight rows and eight columns, totaling 64 squares. Light and dark squares alternate throughout the board. Columns are labeled A to H, rows are numbered 1 to 8. At the start of a game, squares A1 and H8 (both dark) are on the left side of each player sitting across from each other.

The pieces are arranged in a fixed starting position: on rows 1 and 8, from left to right, stand the rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, and rook. The queen is always placed on a square matching her color: D1 for white, D8 for black. Each piece faces its counterpart on the opposite side. Rows 2 and 7 are each filled with eight pawns.

Objective and Course of the Game

The goal in chess is to checkmate the opponent's king, meaning the king is under attack and has no way to escape. White always moves first, then players take turns. To move a piece, click to select it and the available squares will be highlighted. You cannot move to a square occupied by your own piece, but you can capture an opponent's piece by moving onto its square, removing it from the game.

The possible moves for each piece are as follows:

• The king moves one square in any direction, but cannot move to a square controlled by an opponent's piece or stand next to the enemy king.
• The queen moves any number of squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
• The rook moves any number of squares horizontally or vertically.
• The bishop moves any number of squares diagonally and always stays on the same color.
• The knight is the only piece that can jump over others. It moves in an L-shape.
• The pawn advances one or two squares on its first move, then one square at a time. It captures diagonally forward and can never move backward.

Chess also has three special rules:

• En passant: a pawn can capture an adjacent opponent's pawn under specific conditions.
• Pawn promotion: when a pawn reaches the opponent's back row, it can be exchanged for any other piece.
• Castling: the king and rook can swap positions to bring the king to safety.

When one of these moves is available, the game will indicate it. If the game can no longer progress, for example when only the two kings remain, it ends in a draw.

Other Online Games

That covers the basics of chess. To truly improve, study openings and strategies, replay classic matches, and practice regularly against our computer opponent. If the concentration gets to be too much, lighter games like Bubble Shooter, Mahjong, or Hearts are a good change of pace. All free, all instant, right in your browser.