Chess is a two-player strategic board game played on an 8x8 square grid with alternating light and dark squares called a chessboard. Each player has 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The objective of the game is to capture or "checkmate" the opponent's king by placing it in a position where it cannot avoid being captured. Chess is considered one of the most complex board games due to its vast strategic possibilities and has been popular for centuries, with many variations and cultural adaptations around the world.