How many pieces are used in a game of chess?

A regular game of chess uses 32 pieces. There are 16 pieces for each player and six varieties of pieces.

A chess board for a standard game consists of 16 pieces on each side: one king, one queen, two bishops, two knights, two rooks and eight pawns. Typically one player has white pieces and the other has black, but pieces are available in a variety of colors and shapes.

The chessboard is made up of 64 individual squares, with 32 dark squares and 32 light squares. Each one of the 16 chess pieces has a specific starting point. One player's pieces are aligned on one side of the chessboard and the second player's pieces are on the opposite side.