chess

[ ches ]

/ tʃɛs /

noun

a game played on a chessboard by two people who maneuver sixteen pieces each according to rules governing movement of the six kinds of pieces (pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, king), the object being to bring the opponent's king into checkmate.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

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Origin of chess

1150–1200; Middle English < Old French esches, plural of eschec check¹

Words nearby chess

cheshire west and chester, cheshunt, cheshvan, cheskey, chesnutt, chess, chess clock, chess pie, chessboard, chessboxing, chessel

Definition for chess (2 of 3)

chess²

[ ches ]

/ tʃɛs /

noun, plural chess·es.

any of several weedy species of bromegrass, especially Bromus secalinus.

Definition for chess (3 of 3)

chess³

[ ches ]

/ tʃɛs /

noun, plural chess, chess·es.

one of the planks forming the roadway of a floating bridge.

Origin of chess

1425–75; late Middle English ches tier, layer < ?

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for chess

We thought this season it would be more fun to just start the chess game right away.
‘The Good Wife’ Creators on the Premiere’s Big Cary Twist, Will’s Death, and More|Kevin Fallon|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One of his most entertaining books is about Chess Records, the legendary Blues record label.
The Stacks: How Leonard Chess Helped Make Muddy Waters|Alex Belth|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With Suzanne, Vee saw someone who could be a pawn in her chess game.
‘Orange Is the New Black’ Star Uzo Aduba on Her Journey From Track Phenom to Crazy Eyes|Marlow Stern|June 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was like having a chess match against your grandfather, while everyone else played Call of Duty for money.
Ex- CIA Chief: Why We Keep Getting Putin Wrong|Eli Lake, Noah Shachtman, Christopher Dickey|March 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Russian chess players use an expression known as mnogohodovka, which describes a problem requiring several moves to resolve.
Putin’s Police Arrest Pussy Riot Again In Court Crackdown|Michael Weiss|February 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Colonel would climb up and have forty winks in the top one before the Boy got in for their game of chess.
The Magnetic North|Elizabeth Robins (C. E. Raimond)
General Delamain I discovered was a chess player, and many were the excellent games we played together.
The Secrets of a Kuttite|Edward O. Mousley
During his administration England again became a Continental power and played her game of European chess.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 8 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll
Will you three come here to play a game of chess on Friday night at ten?
The Making of a Saint|William Somerset Maugham
He found the colonel in his night-gown, and his great chair, engaged with another officer at a game of chess.
Amelia|Henry Fielding

British Dictionary definitions for chess (1 of 3)

chess¹

/ (tʃɛs) /

noun

a game of skill for two players using a chessboard on which chessmen are moved. Initially each player has one king, one queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns, which have different types of moves according to kind. The object is to checkmate the opponent's king

Word Origin for chess

C13: from Old French esches, plural of eschec check (at chess); see check

British Dictionary definitions for chess (2 of 3)

chess²

/ (tʃɛs) /

noun

US a less common name for rye-brome

Word Origin for chess

C18: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for chess (3 of 3)

chess³

/ (tʃɛs) /

noun plural chess or chesses

a floorboard of the deck of a pontoon bridge

Word Origin for chess

C15 (in the sense: layer, tier): from Old French chasse frame, from Latin capsa box

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012