Online chess allows players of all levels to compete against players from anywhere in the world. There are many online chess web sites that allow players to compete against each other, play against the computer, watch others play, or chat with others on the site.
But chess online is very new. The earliest form of chess originated in Northwest India in the 6th century. In the 600's it had spread to Persia where it was known as Shatranj. With the Islamic conquest of Persia the game spread thru the Muslim empire. By the 10th century the game appeared in the Iberian Peninsula. By the 1200's the rules were being modified in Europe, and by the end of the 15th century its evolution made it the game that its today.
For centuries the board game was played with opponents sitting across from one another. Some long distance players sent their moves to each other via mail. In 1970 the first chess championship, for computers, was held by the Association for Computing Machinery. Since then computers have played and even beaten human world champions.
The rules for online chess are the same as playing chess on a board. The main objective is to checkmate your opponent’s king. Each player starts with sixteen pieces, one king and queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks, and eight pawns. The king can only move one square at a time, never allowing itself to be captured. If no move is available, the game ends in a stalemate. Rooks can move horizontally or vertically.
The bishop moves diagonally. The queen can move as both the Rook and Bishop. None of these pieces can leap over other pieces. That is reserved for the Knight which moves are in a L shape. The pawn moves forward one space except for its first move which can be two spaces.
These days, online chess web sites offer the beginner to learn the game and allow the more experience players the chance to play against world class players. Online chess sites have forums which give players a chance to talk to other players to compare strategies or discuss a particular game. An online chess game does not have to be finished in one sitting, just save the game and return the next day.
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