Chess

About Chess

Chess is a game for two. Each side commands sixteen pieces on a board of sixty-four squares, and both are chasing the same thing: a trapped enemy king. Learning how the pieces move takes minutes. Learning what to do with them takes a lifetime, which is a big part of the appeal.

H5Games on Web puts a real-looking wooden board on your screen, with carved pieces you can see from a slight angle. Pick the computer and you start at Level 1, where it plays loosely and forgives mistakes. Every win unlocks the next of its eight levels, so the opponent sharpens as you do. Prefer company? Choose Play a Friend and take turns on one device.

Each move has a 30-second clock, which keeps games brisk. If time runs out, a move is played for you rather than the game stalling. Captured pieces and the material balance are shown beside each player, and the last move and any check are highlighted so it is always clear what just happened.

Everything runs in the browser. There is no account, nothing to install, and your computer level is remembered on the device you play on.

Controls

Tap one of your pieces and every square it may legally move to lights up. Tap a lit square to move there; if an enemy piece stands on it, it is captured. Use Take back to undo your last move, Flip board to view from the other side, and New game to return to the menu.

• Pawn: steps forward one square (two from its starting row) and captures one square diagonally ahead. Reach the far edge and it becomes a queen.
• Rook: slides any distance along a row or column.
• Bishop: slides diagonally and never leaves its starting colour.
• Knight: leaps in an L, two squares one way and one across. It is the only piece that can jump over others.
• Queen: combines rook and bishop, moving any distance in a straight or diagonal line.
• King: moves a single square in any direction. If it is attacked, that is check, and you must deal with it straight away.

Special moves such as castling, en passant and promotion are handled for you: if a move is legal, the board will offer it.

Tips

• Claim the centre. A pawn pushed to the middle opens lines for your bishops and queen and gives the knights good squares.
• Develop before you attack. A lone piece charging ahead gets chased away. Bring out knights and bishops first so they can work together.
• Castle early. It tucks your king behind pawns and wakes up a rook in a single move.
• Check before you move. Ask whether the square you are heading to is guarded. Giving away a piece for nothing is how most games are lost.
• Read your opponent's last move. What is it threatening now? Answer that before you carry on with your own plan.
• Swap when ahead, hold back when behind. Fewer pieces make a lead easier to convert; more pieces give you more chances to complicate things.

Frequently asked questions

Is chess free to play?

Yes. There is nothing to download, no account to make and nothing to pay.

Do I have to know the rules first?

No. Tap any piece and the board marks where it can go, so you can pick things up as you play.

How does a game end?

Usually by checkmate: the king is attacked and has no way out, whether by moving, blocking or capturing the attacker. A game is drawn by stalemate (no legal move while not in check), by repeating the same position three times, or when neither side has enough pieces left to mate.

Can I play against the computer?

Yes. There are eight levels, from Rookie to Master. Beat the computer and you move up one level.

Can I play with a friend?

Yes. Choose Play a Friend and take turns on the same screen. Flip board turns the view around for the second player.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. It runs in any modern mobile browser and is played entirely by tapping.

How do I improve?

Play regularly and look hard at the moves that cost you a piece, since that is where games are usually decided. The rising computer levels give you an easy way to see your progress.