Western Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on an 8x8 grid called a chessboard. Each player starts with 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, dating back over a thousand years, with origins in India and Persia. It is governed by specific rules that dictate how each piece moves. Western Chess is popular worldwide, with numerous tournaments and a dedicated community of players.