How To Play Chess

Moving and Capturing Pieces

To move a chess piece, select it and drag it to where you want to move it, then release it. As you drag a piece to its desired location, each square is highlighted as you drag the piece across it. You may capture an opposing piece the same way by dragging and releasing your piece over the opposing piece.

If you release the chess piece anywhere except over a legal space, the piece snaps back to its original location. So, if you change your mind after selecting a piece, you can place the piece back on its original space, or release it anywhere but over a legal space.

To castle, you must move the King to its new position. The Rook will move automatically.

When your opponent moves, the opposing piece's new square and the square it moved from are highlighted, so you can tell at a glance what just happened.

Pieces that have been captured appear in miniature next to the chessboard.

Undo Move

When you regret a move you just made, you may use the Undo Move button. Your opponent will be able to allow or reject the undo. You may wish to use this feature in friendly games, or when you accidentally move a piece onto the wrong square. Be aware, however, that your opponent is never obliged to accept your undo.

Use Undo Move as soon as possible after you move, because you may only take back your most recent turn, and only before your opponent's next move.

Rated Games

You can choose to rate your game, to track your game scores and compare your play to others. Our games use a version of the United States Chess Federation rating system. Each new player begins with a rating of 1500. Your rating changes after each rated game depending on:

The difference between your rating and your opponent's rating;
How many games you have played on our system;
And of course, whether you win, lose, or draw your game.

When your opponent has a rating close to yours, a win will increase your rating, a loss will decrease it, and a draw will change it just a little bit. Results can be unpredictable if your opponent's rating is very different from yours, so try to play rated games with similarly rated players.

You receive a separate rating for each type of board or card game you play. Backgammon has its own rating formula that scores differently from other games.

When One Player Leaves

When your opponent leaves a chess game in progress, you have the choice to end the game and take a win, or wait for another player to join your game. (Chess has no "robot" computer opponents.)

In rated games, players who leave games in progress have their ratings changed as if they lost the game. This prevents people from cheating; otherwise players could leave games any time they were losing.

If your opponent leaves a game of Chess, you choose either to wait in case he or she returns, or to end the game and take a win. While you're waiting, other players may try to enter the game, and you can choose to allow them in or not.

If you lose your Internet connection or have to leave a game for any reason, try to log right back on and return to the game. Your opponent may choose to wait for you, and if so you have a 10 minute grace period before you have a Quit recorded for you.

Chess Clock

In Gamesville chess you have the option to use a chess clock. Each player has a set amount of time to play her or his whole game. This differs from most other Gamesville games, where the clock times each turn instead.

If you run out of time, you lose the game! In a timed game move quickly and watch your opponent's clock to be sure you don't get too behind.

If you join a chess game and see a timer counting down, use the Options button to pop up the list of game options. You can see there how long the game time is and whether it's timing per turn or for the entire game.

50-Move Draw

If after 50 moves no piece has been captured by either player then the game is a draw.

More

More information about Gameville Classics including ratings and chat is available in the Classic Games section of Gamesville help.

Technical Problems

If you are having difficulties loading and running the classic games, see this Troubleshooting section of Gamesville help.

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How To Play Chess

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