Chess: play free online against the computer
Chess is a free online chess game with a bright board and glossy pieces. Play the computer on three levels (Easy, Medium and Hard) or challenge a friend in two-player mode on the same screen. It has all the standard rules, including castling, en passant, promotion, check, checkmate and the draw rules, plus undo, hints, 18 badges and leaderboards. Play in any browser on a computer, tablet or phone.
How to play Chess
- Choose Easy, Medium or Hard to play the computer, or Two players to play a friend on the same screen.
- Tap or click one of your pieces, then a highlighted square, to move it.
- Capture enemy pieces by moving onto them, and keep your own king safe from check.
- Use castling, en passant and pawn promotion when the chance comes up.
- Checkmate the enemy king to win.
Mouse and touch: click or tap a piece and then a highlighted square, or drag the piece onto the square. Keyboard: arrow keys move the cursor, Enter or Space picks a piece or a square, U takes back a move, H shows a hint, N opens the new game menu and Esc drops the selected piece. White always moves first.
The chess pieces
| Piece | How it moves |
|---|---|
| ♔ King | One square in any direction. It can never move into check. Lose it and the game is over. |
| ♕ Queen | Any number of squares along a row, column or diagonal. The most powerful piece. |
| ♖ Rook | Any number of squares along a row or column. |
| ♗ Bishop | Any number of squares diagonally, so it always stays on one colour. |
| ♘ Knight | An L shape: two squares one way and one to the side. It is the only piece that can jump over others. |
| ♙ Pawn | Forward one square (or two from its starting square). It captures one square diagonally forward. |
Special rules
| Rule | How it works here |
|---|---|
| 🎲 Setup | Each side starts with 16 pieces on the two rows nearest to them. White moves first. |
| ⚠️ Check | When your king is attacked you must get out of check at once. Squares glow red under a king in check, and the game only lets you play moves that save it. |
| 🏁 Checkmate | If the king is in check and nothing can save it, the game is won by the attacker. |
| 🏰 Castling | The king moves two squares towards a rook and the rook hops to the other side of it. Allowed only if neither piece has moved, the squares between are empty, and the king is not in check and does not pass through or land on an attacked square. |
| 👻 En passant | If an enemy pawn moves two squares and lands next to your pawn, you may capture it as if it had moved one square, but only on your very next move. |
| 👑 Promotion | A pawn that reaches the far row becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight. You can switch on "Always promote to a queen" in Settings. |
| 🤝 Draws | Stalemate (no legal move but no check), the same position three times, 50 moves without a capture or a pawn move, or too few pieces left to checkmate. |
Computer levels
| Level | Plays like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 😊 Easy | Looks only at the next move and sometimes plays a careless one | Learning the rules and your first wins |
| 🤔 Medium | Thinks a few moves ahead and avoids simple traps | Casual players who want a real game |
| 🔥 Hard | Searches many moves deep and plays tactics and endgames well | Experienced players and a proper challenge |
All three levels play by exactly the same rules as you, and none of them cheats. You can play as White (you move first) or as Black (the computer starts), and you can take back moves with Undo or ask for a Hint any time it is your turn.
Game modes
Play the computer against Easy, Medium or Hard, with your own win, loss and draw record for each level. Two players, one screen lets two people take turns on the same device: switch on "Turn the board in two-player games" in Settings and the board turns around for each player. Choose the level, colour and players in Settings (the cog), then press the New game button (the circular arrow) to start.
Leaderboards
Every checkmate win against the computer can go on the Chess leaderboard, which has This month and All time tabs, and wins on all three levels count towards the same list. A win scores a base for the level (Easy 400, Medium 600, Hard 900), plus 20 for each of your pieces still on the board, plus up to 300 for finishing in few moves (300 minus 3 for every move you made). So a quick win with most of your pieces on a harder level is worth the most. You only pick a nickname, there is no sign-up, and you can change the name, hide your scores or delete them at any time. Draws, losses, two-player games and games you gave up are not ranked.
Badges
There are 18 badges for beating each level, winning streaks, castling, en passant, promotions, quick and flawless wins, comebacks, two-player games, draws and number of games played. Open the medal button in the game to see your progress.
| Badge | How to earn it |
|---|---|
| 🏅 First Win | Win a game against the computer. |
| 😊 Easy Does It | Beat the computer on Easy. |
| 🤔 Clever Move | Beat the computer on Medium. |
| 🔥 Chess Champion | Beat the computer on Hard. |
| 🏆 Hard Fighter | Win 5 games on Hard. |
| 🎯 Hat-trick | Win 3 games in a row. |
| ⚡ On Fire | Win 7 games in a row. |
| 🏰 Castled | Castle your king for the first time. |
| 👻 En Passant | Capture a pawn en passant. |
| 👑 Queen Me | Promote a pawn to a new piece. |
| 🐴 Tricky Knight | Promote a pawn to a knight. |
| ⏱️ Quick Mate | Win a game in 25 moves or fewer. |
| 💎 Flawless | Win without losing a single piece. |
| 🔄 Comeback | Win after being a rook (5 points) behind. |
| 🥊 Big Hunter | Capture 200 pieces. |
| 👥 Friendly Game | Finish a two-player game. |
| 🤝 Peace Treaty | Finish a game in a draw. |
| 🎲 Regular | Play 25 games. |
Chess tips
- Control the centre. Pawns and pieces on the four middle squares reach more of the board.
- Develop your pieces. Bring out knights and bishops early instead of moving the same piece again and again.
- Castle early to tuck your king away behind its pawns and bring a rook into play.
- Check what is attacked before every move: is your piece safe, and what does your opponent's last move threaten?
- Trade when you are ahead. Swapping pieces one for one makes a lead count for more. A queen is worth about 9 pawns, a rook 5, a bishop or knight 3.
- Do not rush your queen out. It is easy to chase around the board. In the endgame, bring your king to the middle and push your pawns.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chess free?
Yes. Chess on Util.Ninja is completely free to play online, with no sign-up, no download and no in-app purchases. It runs in your browser on computers, tablets and phones, and your statistics and badges are saved on your own device.
How do I play Chess?
Tap or click one of your pieces, then tap one of the highlighted squares to move it. Drag and drop works too. Each kind of piece moves in its own way, and you capture by moving onto an enemy piece. You win by checkmate: attacking the enemy king so that it has no way to escape.
How does each chess piece move?
The king moves one square in any direction. The queen moves any distance in a straight or diagonal line. The rook moves along rows and columns, the bishop along diagonals, and the knight jumps in an L shape (two squares one way and one to the side) over other pieces. A pawn moves forward one square, or two from its starting square, and captures one square diagonally forward.
What are castling, en passant and promotion?
Castling lets the king move two squares towards a rook while the rook jumps over to the other side of it, if neither has moved and the squares between are empty and not attacked. En passant lets a pawn capture a pawn that has just moved two squares past it. Promotion happens when a pawn reaches the far row: it becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight of your choice. All three are built in.
What are check, checkmate and stalemate?
Check means your king is attacked and you must get out of it right away by moving the king, blocking or capturing the attacker. Checkmate means there is no way out, and the game is won. Stalemate means the player to move is not in check but has no legal move at all, which is a draw.
What are the three computer levels?
Easy plays quickly and makes mistakes, so it is a friendly way to learn. Medium looks a few moves ahead and avoids simple blunders. Hard searches much deeper, sees tactics well in advance and plays the endgame well. The levels do not cheat: they all follow the same rules as you.
Can I play against a friend?
Yes. Choose "Two players, one screen" in the game menu and take turns on the same phone, tablet or computer. Turn on "Turn the board in two-player games" in Settings if you want each player to see their own pieces at the bottom.
Can I play Black?
Yes. Open Settings or the new game menu and choose Play Black. The board turns around so your pieces are at the bottom, and the computer makes the first move as White.
Can I take back a move or get a hint?
Yes. The undo button takes back your last move and the computer's reply, as often as you like. The light-bulb button shows a good move for you. Both are just for fun, so use them whenever you are stuck.
How does a game end in a draw?
A game is drawn by stalemate, when the same position comes up three times, after 50 moves without a capture or a pawn move, or when neither side has enough pieces left to checkmate (for example king against king, or king and one minor piece against king).
Does Chess have a leaderboard?
Yes. Checkmate wins against the computer are ranked on one leaderboard with This month and All time tabs, and wins on every level count towards it. A win scores a base for the level (Easy 400, Medium 600, Hard 900) plus 20 for every piece you still have and a bonus for finishing in few moves. You only choose a nickname, with no sign-up, and you can delete your scores at any time.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. Chess works on phones and tablets in portrait and landscape: tap a piece and then a square, or drag the piece. On a computer you can also use the keyboard: arrow keys to move the cursor, Enter to pick, U to undo and H for a hint.
More free board and puzzle games: Checkers, Sea Battle, Mahjong Solitaire, Minesweeper and 2048.