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

People in their 20s and 30s are pulling chess sets, backgammon boards and mahjong tiles out of closets and grandparents’ attics, turning them into the centerpiece of their social lives. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026

The analogy Dalio offers is the difference between chess and Go. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026

Also, over at Blackberry Mountain is the Valley, where there is a small lake with a waterslide, life-sized chess, table tennis, a family pool, and more. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026

Hung Cao is not afraid to move chess pieces around the board. — Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English chesse, ches, esches, borrowed from Anglo-French escheks, eschez "game of chess" — more at check entry 2

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

Rhymes for chess

• bless
• cress
• dress
• es
• ess
• esse
• fess
• guess
• jess
• less
• lesse
• mess

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