Here's how to unlock (and play) Facebook Messenger's secret game

Although there are lots of apps and services you can use for chatting to friends, Facebook Messenger is one of the better options because you can pretty much guarantee most people you know will have a Facebook account.

In addition to chatting with your friends you can now challenge them to play a game of chess, but only if you know the secret phrase to launch it, and the hotkeys used to pay the game.

To start a new game just type @fbchess play during a conversation. A board will appear. Your opponent will go first.

Select a piece using the following:

K for king

Q for queen

B for bishop

N for knight

R for rook

P for pawn

And enter the corresponding letters and numbers to move it on the board. So, for example, to move a pawn you might type @fbchess Pd3

You can get further advice and tips by typing @fbchess help.

Photo Credit: Shumilina Maria/Shutterstock