# Rules
The rules of chess (also known as the laws of chess) govern the play of the
game of chess. While the exact origins of chess are unclear, modern rules first
took form during the Middle Ages. The rules continued to be slightly modified
until the early 19th century, when they reached essentially their current form.
The rules also varied somewhat from place to place. Today, the standard rules
are set by [FIDE] (Fédération Internationale des Échecs), the international
governing body for chess. Slight modifications are made by some national
organizations for their own purposes. There are variations of the rules for
[fast chess], [correspondence chess], [online chess], and [Chess960].
Chess is a two-player board game using a chessboard and sixteen pieces of six
types for each player. Each type of piece moves in a distinct way.
The object of the game is to checkmate (threaten with inescapable capture)
the opponent's king. Games do not necessarily end in [checkmate]; a player who
expects to lose may [resign]. A game can also end in a [draw] in several ways.
Besides, the basic moves of the pieces, rules also govern the equipment used,
time control, conduct and ethics of players, accommodations for physically
challenged players, and recording of moves using chess [notation]. Procedures for
resolving irregularities that can occur during a game are provided as well.
[FIDE]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIDE
[fast chess]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_chess
[correspondence chess]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correspondence_chess
[online chess]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_chess
[Chess960]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess960
[checkmate]: gameplay/end-of-the-game/checkmate.md
[resign]: gameplay/end-of-the-game/resigning.md
[draw]: gameplay/end-of-the-game/draws
[notation]: ../notation