Chess is a two player game which takes place on a grid made up of eight columns and eight rows. The rows are referred to as ranks, and the columns as files. The rows are labeled one through eight, and the columns labeled a through h. The formal notation of each square allows the game to be played by mail, with players on opposite sides of the globe. On a traditional chess board each grid of the board alternates between black and white squares. Each side starts the game with 16 pieces. The pieces are able to move in six different manners, with the eligible movement patterns determined by which of 6 kinds of pieces is in play. Each side has eight pawns, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, one queen, and one king. The two sides are often referred to as "Black" and "White" after the traditional colors of the pieces.
Two people are required to play chess. Playing chess also requires a grid made up of eight columns and eight rows. When beginning to play chess each player chooses a side, either black or white. These sides are named after the two traditional colors of the pieces.
Creating a computerized chess game was an early project for computer programmers. In 1997 they achieved their goal by designing a computer called Deep Blue which played six chess games against reigning World Chess Champion Gary Kasparov. Deep Blue won two of the chess games, Kasparov won one chess game, and they tied in the other three chess games. The computer and Kasparov had faced off the previous year, with the original Deep Blue becoming, on February 10, 1986, the first computer to defeat a World Champion, although Kasparov defeated the computer by a handy margin of four chess games to two matches for the computer, with each victory earning a full point and ties worth a half a point, in accordance to the normal and established rules regarding the scoring of chess games taking place amongst players in tournament play.
For anyone seeking out free chess games there are a variety of options available. The first possibility is to join a club of chess aficionados. The usually free chess clubs can often provide connections to other people looking to find free chess games. Free chess games may also be available at local parks. Many parks provide chess tables in the parks, and depending on the weather there are sometimes players to be found near them easily. Some of these games may not be subjected to the same strict time rules which govern tournament play. Some of these games can be very casual, which may or may not be a desirable option depending on what the individual is looking for in their free chess games.