Chess is a classic two-player strategy board game played on an 8x8 grid called a chessboard. Each player begins with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king, meaning to place the king under a threat of capture from which there is no legal move to escape. Players alternate turns, moving one piece at a time according to specific rules for each type of piece. Chess involves deep strategic planning, tactical maneuvers, and foresight, making it a popular and enduring game worldwide.