I play chess with friends.
'Scacchi' = SCAC-chi, with a hard 'ch' sound. The 'sc' before 'a' makes a 'sk' sound.
Use this to describe recreational games you play socially. Adding 'con gli amici' makes it sound more social and less solitary. It can open a conversation about intellectual interests and strategy games.
In Italian, 'giocare a' is used with games and sports: giocare a calcio, giocare a tennis, giocare a scacchi. Note the preposition 'a' is required. For musical instruments, use 'suonare': suono la chitarra (not 'gioco').
Sono appassionato/a di scacchi.
I am passionate about chess.
Emphasises deeper interest than casual play
Partecipo a tornei di scacchi locali.
I take part in local chess tournaments.
Indicates a competitive level
Gli scacchi mi aiutano a pensare in modo strategico.
Chess helps me think strategically.
Explains the benefit of the hobby
Chess has a long history in Italy — the modern European chess tradition was shaped significantly by Italian players and theorists in the 15th–16th centuries. Today, many Italian towns have chess clubs ('circoli scacchistici') where people of all ages gather.