Games to Play in the Car: A Guide to Chess

Chess is a two-player strategy game that's usually played on a checkered board with 32 pieces. It's a very popular tabletop board game all over the world, but you can also buy small, magnetic travel sets that are perfect for passing the time in the backseat of the car during a road trip. The object of the game of chess is to trap the opponent's king with your pieces so that it cannot avoid capture. This is called a checkmate. Mastering the game of chess relies on understanding how all of the different pieces can move and being able to examine the board, consider the possible moves that your opponent could make, and plan ahead to counter them.

Plenty of people play chess just for fun, but there's also an international rating system used at tournaments for high-level players. You can earn your way up to ranks like master or grand master and even win cash prizes in tournament play. However, one of the great things about chess is that you don't have to be a pro to play. In fact, chess can be a great game for anyone, even kids, who can benefit from honing their problem-solving skills and their ability to think ahead as they play.

The History of Chess

Chess History: The modern game of chess descended from an Indian game called chaturanga.
Chess 101: Who Invented Chess? The predecessor of chess had a few pieces that we wouldn't recognize today, such as elephants.
Chess Origins and Myths: Chess is a very old game, but the idea that it dates back to antiquity is just a myth.
Behind the Object: Renaissance Chess King: An ivory chess piece in a museum collection offers an entry point into the story of chess and its pieces.
A Brief History of Chess: Watch this video to learn more about where the game of chess came from.
Chess and its Spread Along the Silk Road: This article digs into the early history of how chess was developed and popularized.
The Mechanical Chess Player That Unsettled the World: In the 1770s, inventor Wolfgang von Kempelen unveiled the Mechanical Turk, a mechanized man who could play chess better than many humans. The machine turned out to be a hoax, but it captivated audiences across Europe, increasing the public's interest in chess.
Bobby Fischer: The first American international chess champion and the youngest grandmaster, Bobby Fischer defeated Soviet champion Boris Spassky in 1972, a Cold War victory that raised the profile of chess in America.
Deep Blue vs. Kasparov: IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer made history in 1996 by defeating chess champion Garry Kasparov.
Carlsen Becomes Youngest Top-Ranked Player: Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, then 18, became the No. 1 chess player in the world in 2009.

Chess Rules

An Illustrated Guide to Chess Pieces: Learn to identify the different types of chess pieces and how they can move with this guide.
Basic Rules of Chess: This visual guide can help you get a grasp on how to play chess.
Chess Rules: Read a breakdown of how the game of chess is played in this document.
Learn Chess: How the Game Is Played: Find out more about how to play chess and some strategies that can help you improve your game.

Strategy and Tactics

Playing the Middle Game: The opening and ending parts of a game are key, but how the game ends depends on how well and consistently you perform through the middle of the game.
Chess Tactics: 38 Definitions and Examples: Learn about moves that you can use in different situations to give yourself an advantage.
Best Chess Openings That Every Beginner Should Know: The opening of a game can set you up for victory or defeat.
13 Types of Chess Openings: Take control of the game from the start by learning everything you can about opening moves.

Chess for Beginners and Kids

How to Play Chess for Beginners: If you're interested in chess but don't know where to begin, here's a good starting point.
Seven Simple Steps to Learn Chess: Here's an easy step-by-step guide that can help you get into chess as a beginner.
Chess Strategy for Beginners: One of the most basic things to understand when you're learning about chess strategy is the relative values of different pieces.
ChessKid: This site offers lots of materials to help kids and beginners learn how to play chess as well as the ability to play anonymously and safely online with others all over the world.
Monster Chess: Kids can play this game to learn about how the different chess pieces move.
Chessmatec: Work your way through the levels of this game to capture the monsters using chess moves.

Competitive Play

How Chess Tournaments Work: Learn the basics of how competitive chess events are structured and scored.
Playing in Your First Tournament: It's important to understand how to play chess with a time limit as well as how to use chess notation before you play in a competition.
FAQs About Tournament Play: Playing competitive chess isn't restricted to the world's top-ranked players. In fact, it's accessible to anyone with the drive to compete.
What to Expect at Your First Tournament: Preparation is key to having a positive experience at your first chess tournament.
How Do Chess Ratings Work?: If you play competitive chess, you'll be given a rating, a number that will go up or down depending on how you perform in tournaments against other players.

Chess Organizations and Federations

U.S. Chess Federation: This is the official governing organization for competitive chess in the United States.
International Chess Federation (FIDE): As its name indicates, this organization is the worldwide governing body for chess.
European Chess Union: Chess championships in Europe are overseen by this organization.
Asian Chess Federation: This is the organization in charge of competitive chess in Asian countries.
National Scholastic Chess Foundation: The NSCF works with educators to bring chess into classrooms as a learning tool.

Chess Publications

- American Chess Magazine: This publication is one of the most prominent printed resources about the game.
- New in Chess: This international chess magazine regularly publishes articles by the world's top-ranked players.
- British Chess Magazine: Great Britain is home to the world's oldest chess magazine.