Play chess online

Free chess in your browser

Play chess online against the computer at four levels, or with a friend on the same phone, tablet or laptop. Every rule is built in: castling, en passant, promotion to the piece of your choice, checkmate, stalemate and automatic draws. Nothing is sent anywhere: the game and your statistics stay in your browser and are still there if you close the tab.

How to play

1. Pick a "Mode": "Against the computer" or "Two players on this device". Against the computer, set the "Level" and your colour under "You play".
2. Tap a piece: a dot marks each empty square it can reach, a ring each capture. Tap the target square or drag the piece. A king in check turns red.
3. Keyboard: arrow keys, Enter or Space to pick and play, Esc to cancel. Or type the move in "Type a move": Nf3, O-O, g1f3.
4. "Undo move" takes back your move and the computer's reply. The "Clock" offers 5 min, 10 min or 15 min + 10 s per move.

The essential rules

• Moves: the king steps one square in any direction, the queen goes any distance straight or diagonally, the rook straight, the bishop diagonally, and the knight jumps in an L. A pawn moves one square forward, two on its first move, and captures diagonally forward.
• Castling: the king moves two squares towards a rook, which hops to its other side. Neither piece may have moved, the squares between them must be empty, and the king may not be in check or cross an attacked square.
• En passant: a pawn that advances two squares beside an enemy pawn can be captured as if it had moved one, on the very next move only.
• Promotion: a pawn reaching the last rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight, your choice.
• Checkmate: a king under attack must be saved at once. If no move saves it, it is mate.
• Stalemate: the side to move has no legal move and is not in check, so the game is drawn. It is also a draw after the same position three times, 50 moves each without a capture or pawn move, or when no one can mate (lone king, king and bishop, king and knight).

Algebraic notation

Files run from a to h and ranks from 1 to 8, from White's side. Write the piece letter, then the target square: K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop, N knight, nothing for a pawn. A capture adds x, check +, mate #; castling is O-O kingside and O-O-O queenside. The Scholar's Mate reads 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5 Nf6 4.Qxf7#, and the fastest mate of all is 1.f3 e5 2.g4 Qh4#. White has exactly 20 legal first moves; after one move each there are 400 possible positions. "Copy PGN" exports the game in that standard format; "Copy FEN" gives the position.

Four tips for beginners

• Control the centre: d4, e4, d5 and e5 give your pieces room.
• Develop knights and bishops before moving any piece twice.
• Castle early to shelter the king and connect your rooks.
• Don't bring the queen out too soon: cheaper pieces chase it and you lose time. Values: pawn 1, knight and bishop 3, rook 5, queen 9.

Computer levels

"1 · Beginner" plays random moves with some common sense: it mates in one when it sees it, grabs undefended pieces and doesn't leave its own hanging. "2 · Casual" looks two half-moves ahead plus pending exchanges. "3 · Club" calculates three. "4 · Expert" searches deeper and deeper for up to two seconds, weighing material, piece placement, passed pawns and king safety. With the clock on, it plays faster.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I castle?

The king or rook has moved, a square is occupied, the king is in check or would cross an attacked square. Tap the king: when castling is legal, g1 or c1 (g8 or c8) is marked.

Can I finish a game later?

Yes. Every move is saved on your device with the clock times, so the game is back when you reopen the page.

How do I review a game played elsewhere?

Paste its PGN or a FEN position into "Import a position (FEN) or a game (PGN)" and press "Load".

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The board fits the screen and there is nothing to install.