Chess: the complete wiki

How to play

Controls

Move

Tap or click the piece, then the target square

Drag

On a computer, drag the piece to its square

Keyboard

Arrows to move around the board, Enter or Space to select, Escape to cancel

Review

Use the move list buttons, or tap a move to see that position

Modes and options

Vs AI

Four levels: Easy makes beginner mistakes, Medium sees captures and simple threats, Hard calculates several moves ahead and Expert searches longer and gives almost nothing away. Play as White, Black or random.

2 players

Two people on the same device, with your own names, a board that can flip itself each turn, and the option to offer a draw or resign.

With a clock

No clock, 3+2 (blitz), 10+0 (rapid) or 15+10 (rapid with increment). The clock switches on every move and whoever hits zero loses.

Modes with their own page

• Two-player chess
• Chess against the computer

Rules

• White moves first, then the players take turns, one move each.
• Each piece moves its own way: pawns advance (and capture diagonally), knights jump in an L, bishops move diagonally, rooks in straight lines, the queen does both and the king moves one square.
• You can never leave your own king in check: the game only offers you legal moves.
• Castling: the king moves two squares toward an unmoved rook, as long as nothing is in between and the king is not in, passing through or landing in check.
• En passant: if an enemy pawn advances two squares and lands next to yours, you may capture it as if it had moved one, but only on the very next move.
• Promotion: a pawn that reaches the last rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight, your choice.
• You win by checkmate, or when your opponent resigns or runs out of time while you have enough material to mate.
• The game is drawn by stalemate (the side to move has no legal move and isn’t in check), threefold repetition, fifty moves without a capture or pawn move, insufficient material or agreement.

Strategy

Rough piece values help you decide on trades: pawn 1, knight and bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9. Each player bar shows captured pieces and the material balance, so you can see at a glance who is ahead.

Against the higher AI levels, games are won with a plan: activate all your pieces, look for weaknesses in your opponent’s pawn structure and simplify when you’re ahead. Afterwards, use the move list to review where the game turned.

Go deeper

• How to play chess: the basic rules to get started
• Castling in chess: what it is, when you can and how to do it
• En passant and promotion: the pawn’s two special moves
• Chess tactics: forks, pins, skewers and discovered attacks
• Basic chess endgames: the checkmates you need to know

Tips

• In the opening, take the center with pawns, develop knights and bishops and castle early.
• Don’t bring the queen out too soon: your opponent will chase it and gain time.
• Before every move, check for checks, captures and threats: yours and your opponent’s.
• An undefended piece is a target: protect it or move it.
• In the endgame the king is a strong piece: bring it to the center.

Common mistakes

• Bringing the queen out too early: your opponent attacks it with minor pieces while developing, and you lose time.
• Not castling: a king left in the centre gets exposed once the files open.
• Only looking at your own plan: before every move, check your opponent’s checks, captures and threats.
• Leaving pieces undefended: they are the ideal target for a fork.
• Stalemating the enemy king when you’re winning: if it isn’t in check and has no moves, it’s a draw.

Mechanics

The tags that describe Chess. Those with a page lead to similar games.

• 2 players
• Vs AI
• Board
• Strategy
• Logic
• Challenging
• Classic

Glossary

Check

A king is in check when an enemy piece attacks it. The player in check must get out of it on their move: move the king, capture the attacker or block the line.

Checkmate

A check there is no way out of. It ends the game and the player who gives it wins; the king is never actually captured.

Stalemate

The player to move is not in check but has no legal move. The game is a draw, however far ahead the other player is.

Castling

A special move of the king and a rook: the king moves two squares towards the rook and the rook jumps to its other side. Only if neither has moved, nothing stands between them and the king is not in, through or into check.

En passant

When a pawn advances two squares and lands beside an enemy pawn, that pawn may capture it as if it had moved only one, but only on the very next move.

Promotion

A pawn that reaches the last rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight, as the player chooses. Almost always a queen.

Fork (double attack)

One move that threatens two things at once, so the opponent can only save one. In chess the knight is the specialist; in Tic Tac Toe it means setting up two lines of two at the same time.

Pin

A piece can’t move (or shouldn’t) because it would expose a more valuable piece behind it on the same line. If the king is behind it, moving it is simply illegal.

Skewer

The reverse of a pin: a valuable piece is attacked and, when it steps aside, exposes another piece behind it on the same line.

Discovered attack

Moving one piece opens the line of another piece of yours behind it, which now attacks. If the piece behind gives check, it’s a discovered check.

Opposition

In endgames, two kings facing each other with one square between them. The side not to move “has the opposition” and forces the other king to give way.

Zugzwang

A position where any move makes things worse for the player to move: they would rather pass, but in chess you can’t.

Draw

A game nobody wins. In chess it comes from stalemate, threefold repetition, the fifty-move rule, insufficient material or agreement; in Tic Tac Toe, when the board fills with no line; in checkers, after 40 moves each without a capture or a man moving, or by threefold repetition.

Best of 3 / best of 5

A series between two players that ends when one wins the majority: two wins out of three or three out of five. On Vexply you play it from Party, with one game or several.

See the full glossary

FAQ

Which AI level should I choose?

If you’re learning, start on Easy: it makes beginner mistakes. Medium doesn’t hang pieces by accident, Hard calculates several moves ahead and Expert is the opponent for players who take the game seriously.

What do 3+2, 10+0 and 15+10 mean?

The first number is each player’s minutes and the second is the seconds added after every move. If your time runs out you lose, unless your opponent has no material to checkmate: then it’s a draw.

Can two people play?

Yes: choose “2 players” in Options. You can enter your names, have the board flip each turn, offer a draw or resign.

Is my game saved if I close the page?

Yes: an unfinished game waits for you in this browser. Stats, history and achievements are also kept only on your device.

Can I take back a move?

No: just like over a real board, a move once made stands. You can still review any earlier position from the move list.

Which notation does the move list use?

Standard algebraic notation, with piece initials in your language (K, Q, R, B, N in English).