Chess as a universal tool for kids' education About ...Chess Chess - is a board game and mental sport for two players. The game is believed to have originated in 1475AD as a modified game that is thought to have originated in 1000AD! It is played on a square board of 8 rows and 8 columns, giving 64 squares of alternating colour, light, and dark. Each player begins the game with 16 pieces that each move and capture other pieces on the board in a unique way: eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, one queen and one king. One player controls the white pieces; the other player controls the black pieces. The object of the game is to achieve "checkmate" and this is done by capturing the opponent's king.