Drag a piece to move it — or click it, then click a highlighted square. Dots show legal moves; rings show captures. The AI plays the other color — switch sides any time.
How to play Chess
Chess is the two-player strategy game where you maneuver six piece types around an 8×8 board with one goal: trap your opponent's king in checkmate. Each piece moves in its own pattern — pawns advance, knights jump in an L-shape, bishops slide diagonally, rooks slide in straight lines, the queen does both, and the king moves one square in any direction. Capture by moving onto a square the other side occupies.
Controls
- Drag a piece to move it, or click it then click a destination — dots show legal squares, rings show captures
- The AI plays the opposite color and replies automatically after your move
- Use the Difficulty dropdown anytime — the AI adopts the new tier on its next move
- Undo takes back your last move; Switch sides swaps colors; Flip rotates the board
- The move list records every move in algebraic notation — click any move to replay the position
Analysis, coaching & sharing
- The evaluation bar beside the board shows who stands better at a glance
- Tap Hint to highlight a strong move, and Review after a game for approximate accuracy and a count of your blunders and mistakes
- Copy PGN or Copy FEN to save a game or share a position with any chess tool
- Pick your board colors, piece set, and toggle sound from the panel — your choices are remembered
Difficulty tiers
- Easy — depth 2 with jittered move choice. Great for learning the rules.
- Medium — depth 3. Plays solidly; a strong club player can still beat it.
- Hard — depth 4 plus quiescence search on captures. Targets roughly 1200–1500 club strength.
All standard rules are enforced: castling on both sides, en passant, pawn promotion with a piece picker, check, checkmate, stalemate, plus 50-move and threefold-repetition draws. Your wins, losses, and best streak save locally.
Tips & strategy
- Control the center. The four central squares (d4, d5, e4, e5) give pieces the most mobility — lose the center and you lose tempo.
- Develop before you attack. Knights and bishops out first, castle early, and don't move the same piece twice in the opening without a reason.
- Look for forks, pins, and skewers. Tactical shots win more club-level games than deep positional plans.
- Don't trade into a worse structure. A trade that doubles your pawns and undoubles theirs is a positional loss even when material is even.
- Improve your worst piece. When you're stuck for a move, find the piece doing the least work and give it a job.
About Chess
Chess descends from the 7th-century Indian game chaturanga, traveled west through Persia (where the cry "shāh māt" — the king is helpless — became checkmate), and reached Europe by the 10th century. The modern queen and bishop moves are 15th-century European additions. FIDE has governed competitive chess since 1924. Top human players rate around 2850 Elo today; the strongest engines exceed 3500.
Frequently asked
How do I play chess against the AI? Click a piece, then click a legal destination — the AI replies automatically.
Is this chess free? Yes. No signup, no downloads, no installs.
What difficulty should I pick? Beginners start on Easy. Once you can beat Easy consistently, move to Medium; Hard targets roughly 1200–1500 club strength.
Can I switch sides mid-game? Yes — hit "Switch sides" any time and the AI continues from your position.
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