The Chess

The Chess

NowakGames · June 26, 2025 · Strategy, Turn-Based Strategy, Multiplayer, Historical, Grand Strategy

The Chess is free to play — no purchase needed. We track it so you know if that ever changes.

PC
Mostly Positive77% · 1161playing now
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →

Screenshots

The Chess price

The Chess is free to play — there is no purchase price, on Steam or anywhere else we track. We keep watching it, so if it ever stops being free the price history on this page will show when that happened and what it changed to.

About The Chess

The Chess Themed Chess offers a relaxing, minimalist chess experience with multiple boards, piece sets, AI opponents, and multiplayer. Play in 3D or 2D, learn the game’s history, and explore RPG-themed DLC. Free to Play – Download now and enjoy endless strategy!

The Chess — game info

Platforms
Windows
Player modes
Single-player, Online PvP, Split screen
PC Game Pass
Not included
More games like this:Split-screen games

DLC & expansions

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

Recommended Sep 28, 2026
The Chess takes one of the most enduring strategy games ever created and presents it as a relaxed, accessible digital experience. Developed and published by NowakGames, it avoids trying to reinvent chess with unnecessary mechanics and instead focuses on giving players an attractive environment in which to enjoy the traditional game. Its free-to-play structure makes it particularly easy to approach, whether you already understand openings and tactical patterns or simply want to learn how each piece moves. At its core, the experience is exactly what the title promises. Every match retains the familiar rules of chess, with success determined by positioning, planning, tactical awareness, and the ability to anticipate an opponent's intentions. The simplicity of the rules compared with the enormous strategic possibilities remains the main reason chess works so well as a video game. Matches can be played casually without much commitment, but players who become invested can spend countless hours improving their understanding of the board. Solo players can compete against AI opponents across three difficulty settings. This is useful for beginners because it provides a relatively comfortab…
1 found this helpful
Recommended Sep 26, 2026
The Chess is a very straightforward chess game, but I liked how much effort it puts into making the classic game feel comfortable and approachable. I can play against AI, challenge other people and switch between three dimensional and two dimensional board views depending on what I prefer. It does not try to reinvent chess, and I think that focus works in its favor. The different AI difficulty levels are useful because they give me an easy way to practice before taking on stronger opponents. I enjoyed being able to change the presentation and challenge level without having to learn a completely different system. The two dimensional board is especially useful when I want to concentrate purely on the position rather than the visual presentation. The themed boards and chess pieces add some personality too. I liked having different visual styles to choose from because it makes repeated games feel a little less repetitive. The option to play online or locally also gives the game more flexibility, especially when I simply want a quiet chess session or a match against another person. I also appreciate the built in history and rules section. For experienced players it is not particularl…
Not recommended Sep 25, 2026
4r ';lkjhgfdsz?p'.;oil,umkjnbvcx
Recommended Sep 12, 2026
Great game!!!
Not recommended Jul 16, 2026
ai Pieces perform illegal moves and some pieces of player arent allowed to move
Not recommended Jul 3, 2026
The Suck.

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