Chess is a strategy board game that has gained such popularity among people all over the world. Even if you’re still in school or are a full-time CEO at a large corporation, you can play chess anytime and with anybody as long as you know how the game works. To give a brief overview, chess is played by two people and on a checkered board known as the ‘chessboard’. The objective of the game is to checkmate or corner the king in such a way that there is absolutely no way to defend the king or to remove the piece checking or ‘attacking’ it. There are 64 squares arranged in an eight by eight grid and each player controls 16 pieces: 8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, one queen, and of course the king.
Chessboards are usually made out of wood, but today, with the World Wide Web and computer-operated boards, people can play chess anytime, anywhere, and with anybody from all over the world. This is known as electronic chess and examples of these are online chess games, electronic chess sets, and of course chess played through a handheld gaming device like the Sony PSP or the Nintendo DS Lite. Let’s take a look at these different chess sets and see how they differ from one another:
Online Chess Games
People with internet connection and a computer can always play chess through online gaming sites. These websites allow people to connect with other players and would open up a window or a page within the main website where the two players can play chess online. The opposing player could be living locally or from another country, so this allows you to play and challenge others besides your friends and family. Online chess usually makes game play easy for you with features such as notifications, a chat room, and of course awesome graphics whenever you move a piece or take your opponent’s pieces during the game.
Electronic Chess Sets
To define, these electronic chess sets are run by circuits that respond electronically to the position of the pieces on the board. These are actual chessboards but are just equipped with circuits that can automatically respond to every move made by each player. These are especially handy if you’re the type of player who travels a lot and don’t like carrying a bulky wooden chessboard around all the time. Extra features include easy storage for the pieces, memory saving functions, and the board could even have its own voice.
Chess on Handheld Gaming Devices
We all know that the PSP and the Nintendo DS Lite are today’s top handheld gaming devices in the market, so it’s very likely that chess games are made for these consoles as well. Though not as dynamic and interactive as online chess games and electronic chess sets, you can play chess against a friend who also has the same console and the same chess game as you by connecting your handheld game through the internet.