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

Charlie, Tallulah, and Maia are schemers, to some degree, trying to play whatever social chess is required of them to get ahead. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025

The score would hold until the midpoint of the fourth quarter, as the schools engaged in a defensive chess match. —Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 23 Nov. 2025

Advertisement There is no ‘plan to save the world’ or insane 4D chess game being played. —Richard Hall, Time, 22 Nov. 2025

Giannatos and Naroditsky first connected in 2018 as instructors at Castle Chess Camp, an annual overnight chess camp in Atlanta for advanced young players. —Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025

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