Chess for Kids
Chess for Kids is a free online chess game with built-in lessons, so children can go from "how does the knight move?" to playing a full game against the computer.
Chess for Kids
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- Ages
- 5–12
- School years
- Reception–Year 6
- Skills
- How each chess piece moves and captures, Check, checkmate and stalemate, Planning ahead and thinking about the other player's reply
- Time
- 2–5 minutes a round
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
- Updated
How to play Chess for Kids
- New to chess? Choose Learn. Each lesson shows one piece: tap every square it can move to, then move it around the board to collect the stars. The last lesson teaches check and checkmate.
- Ready for a game? Choose Easy, Medium or Hard, and whether to play as White (you move first) or Black.
- Tap a piece to see dots on the squares it can move to, then tap a dot (or drag the piece). Your last move and the computer's are highlighted.
- Stuck? Press Hint for a suggested move, Undo to take a move back, or Flip board to see it from the other side. Checkmate the computer's king to win!
What your child learns
- How each chess piece moves and captures
- Check, checkmate and stalemate
- Planning ahead and thinking about the other player's reply
- Spatial reasoning on an 8 × 8 grid
- Patience, focus and learning from mistakes
- Reading chess squares like e4 and g1 (coordinates)
About Chess for Kids
Chess is one of the best thinking games a child can learn. Every move asks a question: what can my pieces do, what is my opponent planning, and what happens next? Learning to stop and check before moving is a habit that helps in maths problem solving and everyday decisions too.
The Learn level, ideal for Reception to Year 1 and any beginner, has seven short lessons: the rook, bishop, queen, king, knight and pawn, then check and checkmate. On Easy, for Years 2–3, the computer plays mostly random moves but will always grab a piece you leave unprotected. Medium, for Years 4–5, looks two moves ahead and counts material. Hard, for Year 6 and confident players, searches three moves ahead and knows good squares for each piece. Every rule of chess is included: castling, en passant, pawn promotion (you choose the new piece), check, checkmate, stalemate and draws by repetition or the 50-move rule.
Which level should my child play?
| School year | Suggested level |
|---|---|
| Reception | Learn |
| Year 1 | Learn |
| Year 2 | Easy |
| Year 3 | Easy |
| Year 4 | Medium |
| Year 5 | Medium |
| Year 6 | Hard |
Move up a level after getting three stars two or three times in a row.
🏆 Leaderboard
Full leaderboard →Play a round to get on the board! Create a free account to save your scores.
🖨️ Printable worksheets
Practise away from the screen too: free worksheets with answer keys that match this game.
Frequently asked questions
How do I castle?
Tap your king, then tap the dot two squares to the left or right. Castling is only allowed if the king and that rook have not moved yet, the squares between them are empty, and the king is not in check and does not pass through or land on an attacked square.
What is en passant?
If a pawn moves two squares forward and lands right next to one of your pawns, your pawn can take it as if it had only moved one square. You must do it straight away, on your very next move, or the chance is gone.
Can my child play with a keyboard?
Yes. Press Tab to reach the board, use the arrow keys to move around the squares and press Enter to pick up a piece and Enter again to put it down. Every move is also read out in plain words for screen readers, such as "White knight from g1 to f3".
What is the difference between checkmate and stalemate?
Checkmate means the king is attacked and cannot escape, so that player loses. Stalemate means the player to move is not in check but has no legal move at all, and the game is a draw.
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Help your child shine in school
Practice at home is a great start. Success Tutoring offers personalised tutoring to build skills and confidence.