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

Expand In chess, as in life, you are bound to make some mistakes. —Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2025

Key to that effort is Freestyle’s presentation, which is far less staid and formal than other global chess events. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 17 Apr. 2025

Related article Why chess is forging an unlikely partnership with esports Ju, 34, has held the world title since beating Tan in 2018. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025

They’re cast as macroeconomic chess moves — levers of diplomacy, tools of retaliation or bulwarks of domestic protectionism. —Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 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