How to play
Everything about how Chess BORED! works, plus a quick refresher on the rules.
Playing on Chess BORED!
Against the computer
Games against the computer use Stockfish, running entirely in your browser. Choose from four levels: Easy, Medium, Hard and Max. You can take moves back, flip the board, or play a friend on the same device instead. Computer games are saved to your history but never affect your rating.
Online
Quick match pairs you with the next player waiting on the same time control. Invite a friend creates a private game with a six-letter code and a link to share. Online games have server-checked clocks, draw offers and resignation. If your opponent disconnects, their clock keeps running.
Ratings
Every online game is rated with the Elo system. Everyone starts at 1200. Beat a stronger player and you gain more points than beating a weaker one. Lose to a weaker player and you drop more. The leaderboard ranks everyone who has finished at least one rated game.
The board
Click a piece to see where it can go, then click a square to move it. On the 2D board you can also drag pieces. On the 3D board you can drag to orbit the camera and scroll to zoom. Switch views, colours and sounds from the board itself or in settings.
The rules in two minutes
White moves first, then players alternate. The goal is checkmate: attack the enemy king so it has no escape. A king under attack is in check, and you must get out of check on your next move.
King
Value ∞One square in any direction. Keep it safe: if it is trapped, the game is over.
Queen
Value 9Any number of squares in a straight line or diagonal.
Rook
Value 5Any number of squares along a rank or file.
Bishop
Value 3Any number of squares diagonally. It stays on one colour all game.
Knight
Value 3An L-shape: two squares one way, one square to the side. It can jump over pieces.
Pawn
Value 1One square forward (two on its first move), captures diagonally, promotes on the last rank.
Special moves
- Castling: move the king two squares towards a rook, and the rook hops over. Only if neither has moved, the squares between are empty, and the king isn't in or passing through check.
- En passant: if a pawn advances two squares and lands beside your pawn, you can capture it as if it had moved one, but only on the very next move.
- Promotion: a pawn reaching the far rank becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight. You choose.
Draws
- Stalemate: the player to move has no legal moves but isn't in check.
- Repetition: the same position occurs three times.
- 50-move rule: fifty moves each with no capture or pawn move.
- Insufficient material: neither side can possibly checkmate.
- Agreement: in online games, offer a draw and your opponent can accept.