ChessChess › How to play ›
Play your first game
From choosing a level to finishing a game, one step at a time.
On this page
This page walks you through your first game. Everything runs in the browser: open play chess online and start — no download, no sign-up.
Start a game
On the home page, press "Play now". Under "Play vs AI", choose two things:
- Difficulty: for your first game, pick "Beginner". The four levels are explained in Computer opponents and levels.
- You play: "White" moves first. If you are not sure, pick White. With "Random", the colour is chosen again for every game.
Press "Start game" and the game begins. Your choices are remembered on this device, so you don't have to pick them again next time.
Make a move
There are two ways, and both work on phones too:
- Tap, then tap: tap one of your pieces. Small dots show the empty squares it can go to, and rings show pieces it can capture. Then tap one of those squares.
- Drag: press and hold a piece, drag it to the square you want, and let go.
Tap the same piece again to deselect it, or tap another of your pieces to pick that one instead. The board only lets you play legal moves, so nothing happens when you tap a square the piece can't reach. How each piece moves is covered in How the pieces move.
The start and end squares of the last move are highlighted, so you can see what your opponent just did. You can also play with the keyboard: the arrow keys move around the board, and Enter or Space works like a tap.
Reading the screen
Above the board you can see whose turn it is: "Your turn" or "AI is thinking…". When a king is in check, "Check!" appears, and you can only play moves that get out of check. See Check, checkmate and draws.
There is a player bar above and below the board. It shows the pieces that side has captured and, when it is ahead, a material lead such as +1 or +3. (What each piece is worth is in How the pieces move.)
The buttons below the board
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Undo | Goes back to just before your last move, taking back the computer's reply too. You can do this as often as you like, even after you lose or resign |
| Flip board | Turns the board upside down. Only the view changes |
| Resign | Ends the game as a loss for you. You are asked to confirm first |
| New game | Starts a new game with the same settings |
| Back | Returns to the screen where you choose the level |
The move list
"Moves" lists every move by both sides, in order. Tap any move to see the board as it was at that point, or step through with ⏮ ◀ ▶ ⏭. You can't move while looking back; press "Back to the game" to return to the current position. The symbols in the move list are explained in the FAQ.
On phones, the move list and the chat sit below the board as two tabs.
Chatting with the computer
In "Chat", the computer now and then says a line about the game: when you play a good move, when it stops a mate you were threatening, or when the game ends. You can type to it too, and it will answer briefly. It never gives you hints, and it never comments on you as a player.
How a game ends
Checkmate the other king and you win. A game can also be drawn, for example by stalemate or when the same position comes up three times. When the game is over, the screen shows the result and the reason. Every way a game can end is in Check, checkmate and draws.
To play again, press "New game". To change the level, press "Back".
Want another? Head back to free online chess and try a different level.
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