Chess
Chess is a board game for two players, each with 16 pieces on a board of 64 squares, who move in turn. A player wins by checkmate: attacking the other king so that it cannot escape. Games can also be drawn, and the time each player has to think decides the form: standard chess (60 minutes or more each), rapid (more than 10 and less than 60) and blitz (10 minutes or less). In team chess, such as the Olympiad, teams play several games at once, one on each board.
New to chess? Start here
Which to watch first, and how long
Start with Individual. One game, two players: the start of every other form.
- Individual
- Each player has set thinking time on a chess clock; time running out loses
- Team
- Teams of players, each playing their own game on a board
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1World Chess ChampionshipThe match for the world title, the most famous title in the game.About every 2 years (2024; next match November to December 2026) · Holder: Gukesh Dommaraju
- 2Chess OlympiadThe national-team world title; India won both golds in 2024.Every 2 years · Holder: open, Uzbekistan 20 points
- 3Candidates TournamentDecides the challenger for the world title.Every 2 years (Cyprus 2026) · Holder: Javokhir Sindarov won
- 4Women's World Chess ChampionshipThe women's world title.To check · Holder: Gukesh Dommaraju
India
- World Chess Championship: Viswanathan Anand won in 2000 (FIDE), 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012; he was runner-up in 1995, 1998, 2005, 2013 and 2014. Gukesh Dommaraju won in 2024
- Candidates Tournament: Viswanathan Anand won in 2014 and was third in 2016; Gukesh Dommaraju won in 2024
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaChess Olympiad: 3 golds, 1 silver, 5 bronzes (latest 2026); Candidates Tournament: 2 titles, 1 bronze (latest 2024)
- Soviet UnionChess Olympiad: 29 golds, 3 silvers (latest 1990)
- ChinaChess Olympiad: 9 golds, 5 silvers, 5 bronzes (latest 2026); Chess at the Asian Games: 6 golds, 3 silvers, 3 bronzes (latest 2022)
- RussiaChess Olympiad: 11 golds, 6 silvers, 6 bronzes (latest 2021); Candidates Tournament: 2 titles, 3 times runner-up, 1 bronze (latest 2020)
- HungaryChess Olympiad: 7 golds, 13 silvers, 4 bronzes (latest 2014)
- United StatesChess Olympiad: 6 golds, 9 silvers, 11 bronzes (latest 2024); Candidates Tournament: 1 title, 2 times runner-up, 1 bronze (latest 2026)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | FIDE (International Chess Federation), Laws of Chess, applied from 1 January 2023 |
| International federation | FIDE (International Chess Federation) |
| In India | All India Chess Federation (AICF): recognised, on the MYAS list for 2026 |
Where and when it is played
At a board, with the time each player has to think setting the form of play. The big events: the World Chess Championship about every two years, the Chess Olympiad every two years and the Candidates Tournament every two years.