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Chess

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Computer
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Draws
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Your move. Tap a piece, then a dot.

How do you play chess against the computer?

Tap one of your pieces, then tap a dot to move it, or drag the piece. You play White and move first, and the computer answers. Pick Beginner, Easy, Medium or Hard, or 2 players to play a friend on one screen. Every move follows the full rules of chess.

How to play chess against the computer

  1. Pick who you play: the computer, or 2 players on one phone, tablet or computer.
  2. Against the computer, pick a level and your side. White always moves first.
  3. Tap a piece to see where it can go: a dot is a move, and a ring is a capture. Tap the square, or drag the piece there.
  4. Win by checkmate: attack the other king so that no move can save it.
  5. Undo takes back your last move. Share position sends a link to the board as it is, so a friend can play on from there.

How the chess pieces move

  • King: one square in any direction. It may never move into check.
  • Queen: any number of squares in a straight line, across, up and down or on a diagonal.
  • Rook: any number of squares across or up and down.
  • Bishop: any number of squares on a diagonal, so each bishop stays on one color.
  • Knight: an L shape, two squares one way and one to the side. It is the only piece that jumps over others.
  • Pawn: one square forward, or two from its first square. It captures one square forward on a diagonal.

Castling, en passant and promotion

  • Castling: the king moves two squares toward a rook, and the rook jumps to the square the king crossed. The king and that rook must not have moved, the squares between them must be empty, and the king may not be in check, cross an attacked square or land in check. To castle here, move the king two squares.
  • En passant: when a pawn moves two squares and lands beside an enemy pawn, that pawn may take it as if it had moved one square. It can only do so on the very next move.
  • Promotion: a pawn that reaches the last rank becomes a queen, a rook, a bishop or a knight. You pick which.

How a game of chess ends

  • Checkmate: a king is in check and no move gets it out. The side that gives checkmate wins.
  • Stalemate: the player to move has no legal move but is not in check. The game is a draw.
  • Repetition: the same position comes up for the third time. The game is a draw.
  • The 50-move rule: 50 moves by each player with no capture and no pawn move. The game is a draw.
  • Too few pieces: neither side can checkmate, such as a king and a bishop against a king. The game is a draw.

In a tournament, a player must claim a draw by repetition or by the 50-move rule. This game calls it for you.

Controls

  • Phone and tablet: tap a piece, then tap where it goes. Or drag it.
  • Computer and Chromebook: click a piece and then a square, or drag it with the mouse.
  • Keyboard: press Tab to reach the board, move with the arrow keys, and press Enter to pick a piece and to move it.

Tips for beginners

  • Take the middle of the board early with your center pawns and your knights.
  • Bring out your knights and bishops before you move your queen a lot.
  • Castle early, so your king is safe behind its pawns.
  • Before each move, look at what the other side attacks, and check that your piece is safe on its new square.
  • When you are ahead, trade pieces. A simpler board is easier to win.

Questions

Is this chess game unblocked? Does it work on a school Chromebook?

It is a normal web page on lifesim.com with nothing to download, so it runs in Chrome on a Chromebook. Some school filters block every game site, so we can't promise that yours allows it. Once the page is open, the game needs no network.

How strong is the computer?

It is a small chess program that we wrote for this page. Beginner and Easy make mistakes on purpose, and Medium and Hard look a few moves ahead and answer in under a second. It is good practice for new and casual players, and much weaker than the best chess programs.

Can two people play chess on one device?

Yes. Pick 2 players and take turns on the same phone, tablet or computer. Flip board turns the board around for the player with the black pieces.

How do you castle in chess?

Move the king two squares toward a rook, and the rook jumps to the other side of the king. You may castle only when the king and that rook have not moved, nothing stands between them, and the king is not in check and does not pass over or land on an attacked square.

What is en passant?

When a pawn moves two squares from its first square and lands beside an enemy pawn, that pawn may take it as if it had moved only one square. The capture is allowed on the very next move only.

Can I send a position to a friend?

Yes. Share position sends a link to the board as it is now. Your friend opens it and plays on from there against the computer. After a game against the computer, Share sends your result and the level.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no sign-up and no download. Your wins, losses and draws against each level stay in this browser.

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