chessboard

noun

chess·​board ˈches-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce chessboard (audio)
: a checkerboard used in the game of chess

Examples of chessboard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The utter carnage that follows brings major developments for all the main characters still on the chessboard — and many gruesome deaths by dragon fire, boiling oil, spikes and even catapults. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 Personnel is what’s important, but Scaloni treats his players as people, not as pawns on a chessboard. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 14 July 2026 My earliest childhood memory isn’t of a chessboard but of watching the thrilling 1970 quarterfinal match between England and West Germany. — Garry Kasparov, Washington Post, 10 July 2026 Around folding tables holding chessboards, mahjong sets and stacks of cards, people in their 20s and 30s are choosing slow, screen-free hangs over another night at the bar. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for chessboard

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chessboard was in the 15th century

Rhymes for chessboard

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Browse Nearby Words

chess
chessboard
chessel
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chessboard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chessboard. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on chessboard

Nglish: Translation of chessboard for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chessboard

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