Chess Trivia

Chess is one of the oldest and most popular board games in the world, known for its deep strategy and rich history. Whether you're a grandmaster or a novice, the game of chess offers endless opportunities for learning and improvement. Test your knowledge of chess with these trivia questions that cover a wide range of topics related to this classic game.

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Chess Trivia Questions

1. Who is considered the greatest chess player of all time?
2. What are the two colors of the squares on a standard chessboard?
3. How many squares are there on a standard chessboard?
4. What piece can move any number of vacant squares in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction?
5. What is the only piece that can jump over other pieces?
6. What is it called when a player's king is in check and there are no legal moves to remove the threat?
7. Who was the first official World Chess Champion?
8. What is the term for a situation where neither player can checkmate the other, resulting in a draw?
9. How many pieces does each player start with in a standard game of chess?
10. What is the name of the opening move where a player advances their king's pawn two squares?
11. What piece is used to castle?
12. Which piece is considered the most powerful in chess?
13. What is the initial position of the queen in a standard game of chess?
14. Who holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak in classical chess?
15. What is the name of the chess piece that moves in an L-shape?
16. What does FIDE stand for?
17. What is the term for a draw that occurs because a player has no legal move and their king is not in check?
18. What is the move called when a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board and is promoted?
19. What is the maximum number of queens that can be on the board at the same time?
20. Who is the youngest grandmaster in chess history?
21. What is the name of the famous 1972 World Chess Championship match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky?
22. What is the term for a tactic where a piece is moved to open a line for another piece?
23. What year did the first modern chess tournament take place?
24. What is the name of the defensive move that involves moving the king two squares towards a rook and the rook to the square next to the king?
25. What is the record for the longest official chess game by number of moves?
26. Which country has produced the most World Chess Champions?
27. What is the name of the illegal move where a player moves their king into check?
28. Who was the first female player to compete in a men's World Chess Championship?
29. What is the term for a chess piece that is attacked and cannot escape capture?
30. What is the name of the tactic where a piece is sacrificed to gain a more advantageous position?
31. What was the nationality of the first World Chess Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz?
32. What is the term for a simultaneous chess exhibition where one player plays multiple games at once?
33. Who defeated Garry Kasparov in 2000 to become the World Chess Champion?
34. What is the name of the legendary game played between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky in 1851?
35. What is the term for the sequence of moves that starts the game of chess?
36. Which piece can move diagonally but only on squares of the same color?
37. What is the term for a pawn structure where pawns of the same color are on adjacent files and can support each other?
38. Who was the first American to win the World Chess Championship?
39. What is the typical time control for a standard classical chess game?
40. What is the name of the tactic where a player attacks two or more pieces simultaneously with one piece?
41. Who is the current World Chess Champion as of 2024?
42. What is the name of the opening move 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5?
43. Which chess piece is often called a minor piece along with the knight?
44. What is the term for a checkmate delivered by a rook and king against a lone king?
45. Which World Chess Champion was known as the "Mozart of Chess"?
46. What is the purpose of the en passant rule?
47. What is the term for a chess game that is decided without any pieces being captured?
48. Who was the first woman to become a grandmaster in chess?
49. What is the name of the move that is used to counter a discovered check?
50. Which piece starts on d1 for White and d8 for Black in the initial setup?
51. What is the term for controlling the center of the board in chess?
52. Which chess opening is named after a Spanish bishop?
53. What is the name of the online platform where millions of chess games are played daily?
54. Who wrote the famous chess book "My 60 Memorable Games"?
55. What is the term for a chess strategy where a player sacrifices a piece for long-term positional gain?
56. Which country won the Chess Olympiad in 2018?
57. What is the term for a player's position that allows them to dictate the game's flow?
58. What is the term for a draw agreed upon by both players?
59. Who was the first non-Soviet player to win the Candidates Tournament?
60. What is the name of the pawn promotion where a pawn is promoted to any piece other than a queen?

Chess Trivia Answers

1. Garry Kasparov
2. Black and white
3. 64
4. Queen
5. Knight
6. Checkmate
7. Wilhelm Steinitz
8. Stalemate
9. 16
10. The King's Pawn Opening
11. King and rook
12. Queen
13. d1 for White and d8 for Black
14. Magnus Carlsen
15. Knight
16. Fédération Internationale des Échecs (International Chess Federation)
17. Stalemate
18. Promotion
19. 18 (9 for each player)
20. Abhimanyu Mishra
21. The Match of the Century
22. Discovered attack
23. 1851
24. Castling
25. 269 moves
26. Russia/Soviet Union
27. Illegal move
28. Vera Menchik
29. Hanging piece
30. Gambit
31. Austrian (later American citizen)
32. Simul
33. Vladimir Kramnik
34. The Immortal Game
35. Opening
36. Bishop
37. Connected pawns
38. Bobby Fischer
39. 90 minutes with a 30-second increment per move
40. Fork
41. Magnus Carlsen
42. The Ruy López
43. Bishop
44. Rook and king checkmate
45. Magnus Carlsen
46. To capture a pawn that has moved two squares from its starting position as if it had moved one square
47. Bloodless victory
48. Nona Gaprindashvili
49. Interposition
50. Queen
51. Central control
52. The Ruy López
53. Chess.com
54. Bobby Fischer
55. Sacrifice
56. China
57. Initiative
58. Draw
59. Bobby Fischer
60. Underpromotion

Conclusion

Chess is a timeless game that continues to captivate players of all ages and skill levels. From its origins in ancient India to the modern global stage, chess has evolved into a rich and complex game that challenges both the mind and the spirit. Whether you're exploring classic games or learning about the great champions, chess offers endless opportunities for intellectual growth and enjoyment. Dive into the world of chess, and discover the depth and beauty of this fascinating game.

For more information on chess, visit the Wikipedia page on chess.