Chess game
Play free online chess — full rules, timers, and three computer levels. No login.
Choose Game Mode
Difficulty
Timer (each side)
Choose a piece and destination. Keyboard: focus the board, use arrow keys, then Enter.
📖 How to Play Chess
Objective: checkmate the enemy king — attack it so it is in check and has no legal escape. White always moves first, and players alternate one move at a time.
Forward one (two from its start). Captures diagonally. En passant and promotion included.
L-shaped jumps: two one way, one sideways. Leaps over pieces.
Slides diagonally any distance. Stays on its colour.
Slides horizontally or vertically. Key to castling.
The strongest piece: slides any direction, any distance.
One square any way. Never move into check — castle for safety.
Capturing: land on an enemy piece to take it (except the king — the game ends before that). Captured pieces appear on the capturer's card.
Check & checkmate: check means your king is attacked — you must escape, block, or capture. Checkmate ends the game immediately.
Castling: king moves two squares toward an unmoved rook with a clear path, never while in, through, or into check.
Promotion: a pawn reaching the far rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop, or knight of your choice.
Game endings: checkmate · stalemate (draw) · insufficient material (draw) · fifty-move rule (draw) · resignation · agreed draw · flag (time out).
Play Chess against a friend or computer
Choose a two-player match on one device or practice against the computer at one of three difficulty levels. The game includes legal move hints, castling, en passant, pawn promotion, check and checkmate detection, a move list, undo and redo, board flip, and optional clocks. No account or download is needed.
Choose Player vs Player for over-the-board battles on one device, or Player vs Computer to train against Easy, Medium, or Hard silicon. Timers keep blitz honest, the move list teaches notation as you play, and every game ends with a clear result screen. Beginners: read How to Play above, start with no timer on Easy, and graduate to rated-style rapid games.
Why play chess here
- Full legality — pins, checks, and illegal-move prevention handled automatically.
- Learn as you play — dots for moves, rings for captures, red glow for check.
- Fair computer levels — from forgiving Easy to calculating Hard.
- Mobile friendly — big touch squares, responsive layout, portrait-ready.
❓ Frequently asked questions
How do I play chess online here?
Pick Player vs Player or Player vs Computer, choose a timer, and press Start Game. Tap a piece to see its legal moves (green dots), then tap a highlighted square to move. White always moves first.
Can I play chess against the computer?
Yes. Choose Player vs Computer and pick Easy, Medium, or Hard. You play White and the computer replies automatically with thinking time that grows with difficulty.
How do the timers work?
Each side gets its own clock — 3, 5, 10, or 15 minutes, or no timer. Only the side to move loses time. If your clock hits zero, you lose on time.
How do I castle?
Move your king two squares toward a rook that has never moved, with empty squares between and your king not in check (and not passing through check). Both kingside (O-O) and queenside (O-O-O) castling are supported.
How does en passant work?
If an enemy pawn jumps two squares and lands beside your pawn, you may capture it as if it moved one square — but only on your very next move. The game highlights en passant captures like normal moves.
How does pawn promotion work?
Push a pawn to the far rank and a popup offers Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight. Tap one to promote. The computer always promotes to Queen for maximum strength.
What ends a chess game?
Checkmate (king in check with no legal move) wins instantly. Stalemate, insufficient material (e.g. king vs king), and the fifty-move rule are draws. You can also resign, agree a draw, or win/lose on time.
What do the board highlights mean?
Green dots are legal moves, rings are captures, yellow squares mark the last move, and a red glow means the king is in check. Your selected piece is outlined.
Can I undo a move or flip the board?
Yes. Undo steps back (two plies vs the computer so it stays your turn), Redo steps forward, and Flip Board rotates the view. Flip never changes the rules — only your perspective.
Is online chess free with no login?
Yes — 100% free, no account, no download. Play on mobile, tablet, or desktop; your sound preference saves in your browser.