Chess is a game that requires a lot of mental skill and concentration. It is a game for two people who try to adopt different strategies to defeat the other player. It is a very complex game that has infinite possible moves and tactics. Almost every move depends on the other person’s moves. The earliest chess games were traced to the 2nd century BC although there is no evidence to its exact existence. There is evidence of a type of chess game being played in India in the 6th century AD; some modern versions were found in Persia.

The main equipment required for playing chess is a chess board and chess pieces. The board is square with 64 equal-sized squares drawn across. The squares are of alternate colors- generally black and white or any other contrasting colors. The chess pieces are totally 32 in number: 16 for each player, comprised of eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, one queen and one king. Each player has one set of these sixteen pieces, which are all of the same color – either black or white.

There are unlimited moves in chess, each depending on the strategies of the opponent. The openings or the first moves a very important part of the game, and so are the rest of the moves. Each piece moves differently: the rooks can move any number of spaces vertically or horizontally; bishops can move any number of spaces in any direction diagonally; the queen can move any number of spaces diagonally, horizontally, or vertically; the king can move only one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally; Knight can move in L shape, i.e. two spaces horizontally and one space vertically – they can jump over occupied squares and moves. When one piece comes in the way of another, it is removed from the board. Each player has to protect his/her pieces and also aim to eliminate the king of the opponent. When the king is eliminated, the game is over. However, the game can also end in a draw, with neither player defeating the other.

There are many variations in chess: blitz chess (timed by a chess clock), bullet chess/lightening chess (very fast); correspondence chess (by mail), computer chess (played with the computer) and Internet chess/online chess (played online with another player or the computer).

Chess games can be bought from any games store. They can also be downloaded from the Internet. There are hundreds of free chess games that can be played online or downloaded for free. Some have to be purchased.