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

Two Bit’s Santa Monica spot, situated among Third Street Promenade’s cacophony of casual eateries and an oversized chess board, is 4,000 square feet, a fraction of the downtown location’s size. —Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024

It was said to be superhuman with respect to playing chess. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

The five-minute work shows Julius, Jimmy Johnson, and Rashid walking on a beach, rubbing sunscreen on one another’s backs, playing chess, reading, engaged with and taking care of each other. —Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

The two acted out scenes by playing chess and falling in love while even doing a kissing scene that broke the internet. —Caroline Bell, StyleCaster, 9 Dec. 2024

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

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