♞ Chess (Ajedrez) online free — with friends or against the computer

Chess (Ajedrez) guide: rules, how to play and tips

What is it?

Chess is the great classic of strategy: two identical armies, no hidden cards and no dice, just your decisions against your opponent’s. On WePlay you can play chess online with a friend, each on your own phone, or take on the computer when nobody is around. The server checks every move, so the rules are always followed.

Setup

• The board has 8×8 squares, and each player has a light square in their bottom-right corner.
• Each side has 16 pieces: a king, a queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights and eight pawns.
• White always moves first. On WePlay you can pick colors, swap them or randomize, and anyone else at the table can watch.
• You can optionally turn on a 5- or 10-minute clock per player.

Rules

1. The king moves one square in any direction; the queen any distance in a straight line or diagonal; the rook in straight lines; the bishop on diagonals; the knight in an L shape, jumping over pieces.
2. Pawns move forward one square (two on their first move) and capture diagonally. A pawn that reaches the last row promotes, usually to a queen.
3. Castling moves king and rook together if neither has moved and the king is not in, or passing through, check. En passant captures are allowed too.
4. You win by checkmate: the enemy king is attacked and has no way to escape.
5. Draws come from stalemate, threefold repetition, the 50-move rule, insufficient material or agreement.

How to play on WePlay

1. Open weplay.zone in the browser on every phone. There is no app to install and no account to create.
2. If everyone is on the same Wi-Fi, they land at the same table automatically. Anyone far away or on cell data taps Invite and joins with the link, the QR code or the 4-letter code.
3. The host picks Chess (Ajedrez) and taps Start. Each phone shows only its own player’s information; the table is shared in real time.
4. Nobody else around? Open Play the computer and the game starts instantly against a computer opponent.
5. Tap a piece to highlight its legal moves, then tap the destination square. When you promote, the game asks which piece you want.
6. Against the computer you can practice openings and endgames with no pressure; with a friend, share the link and play even from different cities.

Tips and strategy

• In the opening, control the center with pawns, develop knights and bishops early and castle to keep your king safe.
• Don’t move the same piece over and over early on, and don’t bring the queen out too soon: it becomes an easy target.
• Before you move, check what your opponent’s last move threatens. Many games are lost by missing a simple capture.
• Look for knight forks, pins and double attacks: these tactics decide more games than anything else.
• In the endgame the king becomes an attacking piece. Bring it to the center and push your passed pawns.

FAQ about Chess (Ajedrez)