Chess (?), n. [OE. ches, F. échecs, prop. pl. of échec check. See 1st Check.] A game played on a chessboard, by two persons, with two differently colored sets of men, sixteen in each set. Each player has a king, a queen, two bishops, two knights, two castles or rooks, and eight pawns.

Chess, n. (Bot.) A species of brome grass (Bromus secalinus) which is a troublesome weed in wheat fields, and is often erroneously regarded as degenerate or changed wheat; it bears a very slight resemblance to oats, and if reaped and ground up with wheat, so as to be used for food, is said to produce narcotic effects; -- called also cheat and Willard's bromus. [U. S.]

&fist; Other species of brome grass are called upright chess, soft chess, etc.

• A two-player game played with a board of eight rows of eight squares of alternating colours and 16 pieces for each player: eight pawns, two knights, two rooks, two bishops, a queen and a king; the aim is to get the opponent's king in a position on the board such that it cannot avoid being captured (the state known as checkmate).