chess

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈches 

: a game for 2 players each of whom moves 16 pieces according to fixed rules across a checkerboard and tries to checkmate the opponent's king

Illustration of chess

• chessboard with chess pieces arranged as at the beginning of a game

chess

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

: a weedy annual European bromegrass (Bromus secalinus) widely naturalized in North America as a weed especially in grain

2

: any of several weedy bromegrasses related to chess

Examples of chess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On the other end of the spectrum, there are many Democratic supporters who are ready to jump ship without thoroughly and thoughtfully playing out the chess game of how a change in candidates could effectively work and doing so while thinking three or four steps ahead. —Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 July 2024

The 23-year-old Kenyan comedian, author, content creator and chess champion boasts millions of followers across her social media channels. —Katcy Stephan, Variety, 17 July 2024

Meanwhile chess computers have dominated the best human players since around 1997 (when world champion Garry Kasparov lost a historic match to IBM’s Deep Blue), yet chess computers still don’t exhibit optimal play—the next generation of chess engines will crush today’s. —Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 16 July 2024

The violence exploded near the chess tables, witnesses said. —Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ches, from Anglo-French escheks, eschés, plural of eschec check at chess — more at check

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chess

• chess pie

Kids Definition

chess

noun

ˈches

: a game for two players each of whom plays with 16 pieces on a checkerboard

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ches "game of chess," from early French eschés (same meaning), literally, "checks," from eschec "check" — related to check, checker