noun
chess
chehs
noun
1
A strategy board game for two players, played on a chequered board with sixteen pieces per side, aiming to trap (checkmate) the opponent's king.
"They played chess for hours in the park."
"She learned to play chess when she was six."
How to Use Chess
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe classic two-player game played on a black-and-white board with kings, queens, and other pieces.
Common pairings
play chess
chess board
chess piece
chess club
Word Forms
chesses plural, chesses plural, chesses plural
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Etymology
Traces back through Old French eschec to Persian shah, "king" — the piece whose capture ends the game. "Check," "checkmate," and "exchequer" share the same root.