best way to make a chess game?

best way to make a chess game with ai?

Using the top-down scroller template and maybe creating a Character with different meshes with the right figures.

what about AI?

Not really Engine related. Chess AI is a very demanding field. Check out Computer chess - Wikipedia for some basic issues around computer chess. Then you’ll have to deal with optimization, and such. Lots of headaches.
You could always get a free Chess AI to include into your game (Watch those licences).

Yep surely the AI would be pain in the *** xD Better try to make it multiplayer game or check for open source AI’s you could implement.