Play Chess Online — Free Against Computer or a Friend
Introduction
Chess is the oldest strategy game on the internet and still one of the best two-player experiences you can have in a browser tab. This version lets you play against a computer opponent or against a friend on the same device, with legal moves highlighted and the rules enforced for you. No account, no download, no waiting for an opponent — just open the board and move. If you have never played before, the rules below take about five minutes to learn, and the computer opponent gives you a safe place to practise.
About Chess
Chess has been played in some form for over a thousand years and is played by hundreds of millions of people today. The goal is simple: trap the opponent's king so it cannot escape capture. Every piece moves differently, and the depth of the game comes from combining those simple movements into plans that unfold over many turns.
This browser version combines two well-known open-source components: the chessboard interface from chessboard.js by Chris Oakman, released under the MIT licence, and the move validation engine from chess.js by Jeff Hlywa, released under the BSD-2-Clause licence. Together they give you a board that highlights legal moves, rejects illegal ones and understands every rule, from castling to en passant.
Because everything runs locally in your browser, there is no account to create and no server to wait for. You can play the computer for as long as you like, or set up a two-player game on one screen and pass the device back and forth. It is the fastest way to get from "wanting to play chess" to actually moving pieces.
How to Play Chess
Set up the board.
White starts on the bottom two rows and Black on the top two. Rooks go in the corners, then knights, bishops, and the queen on her own colour, with the king in the last square.
Move a piece.
Click a piece to see its legal moves highlighted, then click a highlighted square to move there. The game refuses illegal moves, so you can learn by trying.
Capture the opponent's pieces.
Move onto a square occupied by an enemy piece to capture it and remove it from the board. You cannot capture your own pieces and you cannot move through pieces.
Checkmate to win.
A king is in check when it is attacked. If the king is in check and has no legal escape — no safe square, no block, no capture of the attacker — it is checkmate and the game is over.
Play against the computer or a friend.
Choose the computer opponent for a solo game at your own pace, or play two-player on the same device and take turns moving.
Chess Controls
| Action | Desktop | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Select a piece | Click a piece | Tap a piece |
| Move a piece | Click a highlighted destination square | Tap a highlighted destination square |
| See legal moves | Highlighted squares appear when a piece is selected | Highlighted squares appear when a piece is selected |
| Undo a move | Click the Undo button | Tap the Undo button |
| Restart the game | Click the New Game button | Tap the New Game button |
| Play against the computer | Choose Computer from the game mode selector | Choose Computer from the game mode selector |
| Play two player | Choose Two Player from the game mode selector | Choose Two Player from the game mode selector |
| Fullscreen | Click the fullscreen button above the board | Tap the fullscreen button above the board |
| Exit fullscreen | Escape key | Tap the fullscreen button again |
Chess Tips & Strategies
Control the centre early
The four central squares give your pieces the most freedom and restrict your opponent's. Opening moves like pushing the king's pawn or the queen's pawn fight for the centre from the very first turn.
Develop pieces before moving pawns
Bring out your knights and bishops early, castle your king to safety, and only then start an attack. Beginners who move the same piece twice or push too many pawns fall behind on development.
Never leave the king exposed
Castling early tucks the king behind a wall of pawns and connects your rooks. A king stuck in the centre is the most common target of a quick checkmate.
Think before you capture
Every capture is also a move of your own piece to a possibly dangerous square. Check whether the opponent can recapture something bigger before you take their pawn.
Look for checks and threats after every move
After each of your moves and each of your opponent's, ask: is anything hanging, is anyone in check, is there a mate threat? Answering that question every turn prevents most blunders.
Trade pieces when you are ahead
If you have captured more material than your opponent, exchanging pieces simplifies the position and makes your advantage easier to convert into a win.
What makes Chess worth playing
- Play against the computer or a friend on the same device
- Legal moves highlighted so beginners learn by doing
- Full rule enforcement including castling and en passant
- Runs entirely in your browser with no download or account
- Open source components credited on this page
Game Info
| Developer | Chris Oakman & Jeff Hlywa |
|---|---|
| Released | 2013 |
| Genre | Board, Strategy |
| Players | Multiplayer |
| Technology | HTML5 / JavaScript |
| Platforms | Desktop, Tablet, Mobile browser |
| Average session | About 20 minutes |
| Licence | MIT |
| Last updated |
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Chess — Frequently Asked Questions
Is chess free to play here?
Yes, completely. This page is free to play with no payment, no sign-up and no premium tier. The open-source components are credited with links to their repositories.
Can I play chess against the computer?
Yes. The game includes a computer opponent, so you can practise alone without waiting for another player or creating an account.
Can two people play on the same computer?
Yes. Choose the two-player mode and both players share the same board, taking turns and passing the device back and forth.
Do I need to know the rules to start?
No. Legal moves are highlighted when you select a piece, and illegal moves are rejected, so you can learn the movement rules by trying. The guide above explains the basics first.
What chess rules are enforced?
The engine understands all standard rules including castling, en passant, promotion and checkmate. It is the widely used open-source chess.js engine.
Can I play chess on my phone?
Yes. Tap a piece and tap a highlighted destination to move. The board works in both portrait and landscape on mobile browsers.
What other board games are on this site?
If you enjoy head-to-head strategy, Four in a Row is a quicker two-player game on the same category page, and Klondike Solitaire offers a solo card challenge.
Licence & Attribution
Board: chessboard.js by Chris Oakman (MIT) · Engine: chess.js by Jeff Hlywa (BSD-2-Clause)
Art and audio: Board UI MIT (chessboard.js); move engine BSD-2-Clause (chess.js by Jeff Hlywa); piece images are the standard Wikipedia SVG set distributed with chessboard.js under MIT
Licence verified .