How Many Possible Moves Are There In Chess? A Quick Guide
There are 20 possible opening moves in chess for White.
As the game progress, the number of legal moves varies per position, typically ranging from 20 to 40, with an estimated average of about 35 legal moves per turn.
This guide explores the number of possible moves in chess, from the opening positions to the complexities of midgame play.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, this article breaks down how move possibilities evolve throught the game.
Key Notes:
- White has 20 legal opening moves
- Players typically have 30-40 legal moves per turn in the midgame play
- A special position can allow up to 218 legal moves
- There are ~10⁴³–10⁵⁰ legal board positions
- Estimated total possible chess games: 10¹²⁰
- Chess is not solved, and that’s what keeps it exciting
- How Many Legal Moves Are There In The First Turn?
- How Many Legal Moves Exist In A Typical Position?
- What Is The Maximum Number Of Legal Moves In A Single Position?
- How Many Legal Board Positions Are There?
- Is Chess Solved?
- Final Thoughts: Why It All Matters
- FAQ – How Many Possible Moves Are There In Chess?
How Many Legal Moves Are There In The First Turn?
At the very beginning, only pawns and knights can move (the other pieces are restricted by pawns, but the knight can jumper over them):
- 8 pawns × 2 options each = 16 moves
- 2 knights × 2 moves each = 4 moves
Total: 20 legal moves for White’s first turn.
Black has a similar number of options, so after just one full turn, hundreds of unique game continuations are possible.
How Many Legal Moves Exist In A Typical Position?
Most positions don’t stay small for long. Once the middlegame begins:
- Players often have 30–40 legal moves
- Tactical positions can offer 50+ options
- Locked positions (like pawn chains) might only allow 10–20 moves
This explosion of choices with each turn is why chess has exponential growth in game trees.
“Understanding how many possible moves exist in a given position isn’t just trivia. It’s a window into the complexity of the game. The better you grasp the scope of your options, the better decisions you make.”
What Is The Maximum Number Of Legal Moves In A Single Position?
Some specially designed chess puzzles have revealed that:
🧠 A player can have up to 218 legal moves in one position.
It is (of course) constructed scenarios, not practical ones.
How Many Possible Games of Chess Exist?
The number of legal chess games is famously known as:
~10¹²⁰
Known as the Shannon Number, this mind-blowing estimate by Claude Shannon shows just how complex chess really is.
For comparison:
The estimated number of atoms in the universe? About 10⁸⁰.
Mindblowing Fact
There are more possible chess positions than atoms in the universe!
How Many Legal Board Positions Are There?
Not counting full games – just single legal positions on the board:
- Estimates range from 10⁴³ to 10⁵⁰
- These include all legal arrangements with proper turn rules, castling rights, en passant, and promotion logic
Even supercomputers can’t scan them all. We will have to wait for the quants!
Is Chess Solved?
Despite AI’s advances:
- Chess is not solved
- Checkers was solved in 2007, but chess is too complex for now
- Engines like Stockfish, Leela and AlphaZero are powerful, but not omniscient
- Humans – even Magnus Carlsen – has ZERO chance against the best engines now
That means chess remains full of mystery and potential for discovery.
Final Thoughts: Why It All Matters
Knowing the number of possible chess moves helps us appreciate the depth of the game and win bets!:
- There’s always more to learn
- (Almost) No game will ever be the same (except some opening lines leading to a forced draw)
So, next time you move a piece, remember, you’re choosing a path among trillions upon trillions of possibilities.
Life is so rich, and now on to more stuff from ChessNinja!
If you’d liked this article by Sune Berg Hansen, and want more tips, feel free to become a chess ninja today.
Sources:
FAQ – How Many Possible Moves Are There In Chess?
Is There A Max Number Of Moves In Chess?
Yes, there is a theoretical maximum number of moves in chess.
According to the 50-move rule and other game rules, the longest possible chess game can last up to 5,949 full moves (11,898 plies).
How Many Moves In Chess Is Average?
On average, a chess game lasts about 40 to 60 moves (20 to 30 moves per player), depending on the skill level and style of play.
