chess

¹ American  

[ches] / tʃɛs /

noun

1. 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.

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chess ² American  

[ches] / tʃɛs /

noun

chesses plural

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

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chess ³ American  

[ches] / tʃɛs /

noun

chess, plural chesses plural

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

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chess ¹ British  

/ tʃɛs /

noun

1. 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

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chess ² British  

/ tʃɛs /

noun

1. a less common name for rye-brome

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chess ³ British  

/ tʃɛs /

noun

1. a floorboard of the deck of a pontoon bridge

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chess
  plural
• chesses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chess¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English che(e)s, chesse, echesse, esches, from Old French esches, plural of eschec check ¹

Origin of chess²

First recorded in 1735–40; origin unknown

Origin of chess³

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English ches “tier, layer,” possibly alteration of Middle French chasse “frame”

Explanation

Chess is a game that's played on a checked board by two players. The goal in chess is to put your opponent's king piece in a position from which it can't escape. A game of chess begins with sixteen black pieces on one side of the board, opposite sixteen white pieces. Each piece can perform a different movement, and each turn involves a player moving a piece in an attempt to attack and remove her opponent's pieces, and to trap the opposing king. Really good chess players learn a lot of strategy and might even compete professionally. Chess comes from the Old French esches, "chessmen," and also "checks."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chess chesses

Polgar, who will turn 50 on Thursday, was the top-ranked woman chess player for 25 years before retiring in 2014.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Hungary's Prime Minister Peter Magyar wants chess legend Judit Polgar to become the country's president as part of his political remake after forcing an ally of his nationalist predecessor Viktor Orban from office.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

The first semifinal, in Dallas on Tuesday, pits two of the most technically and tactically sophisticated teams at the tournament against each other in a duel that feels more like a chess match.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Some prominent figures in the chess community - including world number two Hikaru Nakamura, former world champion Magnus Carlsen and Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin - have previously condemned Kramnik's conduct.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

The three Fischers, prototypes of Talmudic scholars, were always studying: Joan her textbooks; Regina her medical tomes; and Bobby the latest chess periodical.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

When all men were over, the chesses of the pontoon bridge were so worn by the traffic that I do not think they would have lasted another half-hour.”

From South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 3 (of 6) From the Battle of Colenso, 15th Dec. 1899, to Lord Roberts's Advance into the Free State, 12th Feb. 1900 by Creswicke, Louis

Corn and corn-meal, wagons, caissons, guns, pontoons, balks, chesses, and the like, were lying around promiscuously.

From History of the Eighty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, during its term of service by Kinnear, John R.

Yet do not I alowe the diligence of some to painful, whych drawe out these thyngs by playinge at chesses or dyce.

From The Education of Children by Sherry, Richard