A chessboard is a square board used for playing the game of chess. It consists of 64 squares arranged in an 8x8 grid, alternating in color between light and dark shades. Each player starts with 16 pieces, including a king, queen, rooks, knights, bishops, and pawns, positioned on the two rows closest to them. The chessboard is marked with letters and numbers along the edges to identify each square, facilitating communication about moves. The game aims to checkmate the opponent's king, meaning the king is under threat of capture and cannot escape.