chess
chehs
Chess (noun) means a strategy board game for two players, played on a chequered board with sixteen pieces per side, aiming to trap (checkmate) the opponent's king. Example: “My grandfather taught me chess using an old wooden set.”
noun
1
A strategy board game for two players, played on a chequered board with sixteen pieces per side, aiming to trap (checkmate) the opponent's king.
"My grandfather taught me chess using an old wooden set."
"At the tender age of 20, Penguingm1 is already one of the best hyperbullet and ultrabullet chess players in the world."
— Aaron Alford, Cloud9 signs grandmaster chess player Penguingm1 (2020)
"FIDE appeals to all chess players and federations to accept this view."
— “2023 Laws of Chess”, 2023 Laws of Chess (2022)
"They played chess for hours in the park."
"She learned to play chess when she was six."
How to use chess
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe classic two-player game played on a black-and-white board with kings, queens, and other pieces.
Common pairings
play chess
chess board
chess piece
chess club
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Word forms
- Plural
- chesses
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My grandfather taught me _____ using an old wooden set.
Etymology
Traces back through Old French eschec to Persian shah, "king" — the piece whose capture ends the game. "Check," "checkmate," and "exchequer" share the same root.
Synonyms
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cheat
chess game
Related words
Rhymes for chess
See all rhymes for chess →Frequently asked questions
What does “chess” mean?
The word “chess” means a strategy board game for two players, played on a chequered board with sixteen pieces per side, aiming to trap (checkmate) the opponent's king. In plain terms, the classic two-player game played on a black-and-white board with kings, queens, and other pieces.
How do you pronounce “chess”?
“Chess” is pronounced chehs (/t͡ʃɛs/ in IPA).
How do you use “chess” in a sentence?
Here is “chess” used in a sentence: “They played chess for hours in the park.”
What part of speech is “chess”?
“Chess” is a noun.
Where does the word “chess” come from?
The word “chess” comes from Old French. Traces back through Old French eschec to Persian shah, "king" — the piece whose capture ends the game. "Check," "checkmate," and "exchequer" share the same root.
Is “chess” a common word?
“Chess” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between chess and checkers?
Both are strategy board games played on a chequered board, but chess uses sixteen different pieces per side, each with its own way of moving, with the aim of checkmating the king. Checkers, also called draughts, uses identical pieces that move and capture in a much simpler way.
