chess

1 of 2

noun (1)

: a game for 2 players each of whom moves 16 pieces according to fixed rules across a checkerboard and tries to checkmate the opponent's king

Illustration of chess

Illustration of chess
  • chessboard with chess pieces arranged as at the beginning of a game

chess

2 of 2

noun (2)

1
: a weedy annual European bromegrass (Bromus secalinus) widely naturalized in North America as a weed especially in grain
2
: any of several weedy bromegrasses related to chess

Examples of chess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
From his modeling career to his love of chess, here’s everything to know about Norman Reedus’ son Mingus Lucien Reedus. Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 Entering the hotel, guests immediately noticed black and white patterns, from the chess flooring to the striped optical illusions of spiral vortexes, all of which called to mind the intro of the late 1950s/early 1960s television show The Twilight Zone. Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 And, crucially, the implications extend beyond chess. Stephen Ornes, WIRED, 18 Feb. 2024 Like chess, most things in life cannot be solved but the challenge can be dominated by being smarter than your opponent. Clem Chambers, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 That also requires us to play a bit of three-dimensional chess: If SZA is winning AOTY, who’s taking the song categories? Vulture, 1 Feb. 2024 Return to parks list —– Maximo Gomez Park Address: 801 SW 15th Ave., Miami Phone: 305-285-1684 Hours: 7:30am – 9pm Admission: free Amenities: tables for dominoes, chess and checkers The hook: The clack of the dominoes, the haze of cigar smoke. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 His mother, Rohini Ramachandran, credits the Covid-19 pandemic for accelerating her son’s chess development, with Ashwath having to stay indoors during those months of lockdown. Ben Church, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 There’s even one piece that comes equipped with a chess set for those who are ready to sit down for a game at any time or any place. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chess.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ches, from Anglo-French escheks, eschés, plural of eschec check at chess — more at check

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chess was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chess

Cite this Entry

“Chess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chess. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chess

noun
ˈches
: a game for two players each of whom plays with 16 pieces on a checkerboard
Etymology

Noun

Middle English ches "game of chess," from early French eschés (same meaning), literally, "checks," from eschec "check" — related to check, checker

More from Merriam-Webster on chess

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!