Chess is a very interesting game that requires a lot of skill and mental prowess. It is an indoor game that can be played by two players. It is played on a chess board using chess pieces. The board is a square with 64 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, comprising 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.

The main objective in a chess game is to eliminate as many of the opponent’s pieces as possible. The game ends when the king is eliminated. However, the game can also end in a draw. A piece is eliminated when it comes in the way of the opponent’s piece. Each kind of piece has a unique movement: 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.

Now, chess games can also be played online. They can be played with the computer or with another live opponent located anywhere in the world. Online chess games can be played by visiting specific sites that have chess playing servers. These games can be played online or downloaded onto the PC. There are many versions of online chess: blitz chess (timed by a chess clock), bullet chess/lightening chess (very fast); correspondence chess (by mail), and computer chess (played with the computer). Some popular online chess games are: Grandmaster Chess, Kasparov Chessmate, Net Chess and Chessmaster Challenge. They also come with attractive graphics and animation options. These games also have multiple levels of difficulty. There are many websites that provide access to online chess games, for free. All they need is a registration on the website as a member.