During a game, clicking on a piece will show the available places to move to, and if a piece is captured a short comical video plays showing the captured character being caught, with each different capture having its own movie (and they rarely have anything related to chess in the clips). The rules of the game can be changed to cater to many popular variations, though the most common rules of chess are default. Players can also remove or add pieces from gameplay before or during the game.
In addition, a third, traditional chess set (though still constructed from Lego bricks) can be chosen, and all three sets can be mixed (pirates playing against western, for example) However, capture animations are disabled when playing with mixed sets. Multi-player can also be chosen here, or watch the computer play against itself. In this mode, the player can choose the difficulty of the game when playing against the AI. The King on his throne was also a Lego set packaged with the first release of the game. For example, it is said that the reason knights can jump over other pieces is that they ride BMX Motor Bikes.
The Player is taught by «The Chess King», a Lego King Minifig that talks like Elvis who supposedly commands the white army, and slightly modernizes the explanations of the pieces.
The tutorial mode teaches how to play chess, from how the different pieces can move to advanced playing techniques. (Using the same example, either the sheriff catches a bandit, one for each match, or all of them escape.) After completing a story, a printable certificate is rewarded. After each match is over, another cut scene plays with the protagonists either succeeding or failing the task, depending on the match's outcome. In the western theme a sheriff is trying to capture three bank robbers, and in the pirate theme a soldier is trying to beat some pirates to a treasure.
Before each match a cut scene plays, ending with the protagonists having a task to complete. In the first game the AI is at 25% difficulty, in the second game the AI is at 50% difficulty and in the third and final game the AI is at 75% difficulty. After selecting the theme, A three game chess tournament against the AI begins. In Story Mode, The player can pick either a western or pirates theme. Lego Chess Free Download for PC is a computer chess simulation game using Lego Minifigs for the pieces.