How To: Play Facebook Messenger's Secret Chess Game

Facebook just keeps coming up with more and more diversions to help you ignore your responsibilities. At least this diversion is a little more intellectual than most of the other things that can easily distract you on Facebook.

Facebook Messenger has a secret chess game, and all you need to do to open it is type @fbchess play, then send the message to get started.

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You can open the game on Facebook.com, Facebook's dedicated Messenger site, or on the Facebook Messenger app on mobile.

The commands are pretty simple. To make a move, you first type "@fbchess," followed by an algebraic command corresponding to the piece you want to move, and to which location. So, for example, if you want to move a pawn to square C4, you'd type "@fbchess Pc4." That's all there is to it.

Here are the codes for each piece:

• K - King
• Q - Queen
• B - Bishop
• N - Knight
• R - Rook
• P - Pawn

If you need help with anything else, like quitting a game or saving one for later, you can pull up all of the commands by sending "@fbchess help" in Messenger.

Best of all, you can start a chess game with another friend in a group conversation. This way, you can show other friends your mighty chess skills. Or, you know, just piss them the hell off.

It's unclear whether this hate is directed at me, or at Facebook. Let's go with Facebook.

Lastly, Facebook Chess is a fine name for this, but they should really consider just calling it 'Chessenger.'

I'll see myself out.