Schach, or chess, is a strategic board game played between two players. It is played on an 8x8 grid called a chessboard, with each player controlling 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king, meaning the king is in a position to be captured and cannot escape. The game has a rich history, believed to have originated in India around the 6th century. Over the centuries, Schach has evolved into various forms and has become a popular competitive sport, with international tournaments and a world championship governed by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE).