Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an 8x8 grid. Each player begins the game with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The goal of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king, which means to place it under an attack in which it cannot escape capture.
The game starts with the pieces in their initial positions. Players take turns moving their pieces according to specific rules. The king can move one square in any direction, while the queen can move any number of squares diagonally, horizontally, or vertically. The rooks move horizontally or vertically, the bishops move diagonally, and the knights move in an L-shape (two squares in one direction and one square perpendicular to that).
Pawns move forward one or two squares on their first move and then one square forward on subsequent moves. They capture diagonally, but only one square at a time. Pawns can also be promoted to a queen, rook, bishop, or knight if they reach the opponent's side of the board.
Players can capture their opponent's pieces by moving one of their own pieces to the square occupied by the opponent's piece. Players can also put their opponent in check by attacking their king. When a player's king is in check, they must move it out of check or block the attack. If a player's king is in checkmate, the game is over and that player loses.
Chess is a game of strategy and tactics, and players must use their pieces to control the board and outmaneuver their opponent. The game has a rich history and is enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
