Chess
Shortcuts: Ctrl+P pause · Ctrl+M sound · Enter play again
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About Chess
This is a complete game of chess on an eight by eight board, with every rule included: castling, en passant, pawn promotion, check, checkmate and the standard draws. You can play against the computer at three strength levels, or switch to a two-player mode and share the screen with a friend. Pieces are drawn as lettered discs, so the board stays easy to read on a small screen.
Chess suits beginners learning how pieces move as well as experienced players who want a quick casual game. Games usually take ten to thirty minutes. A good result means checkmating the computer at a higher level, and doing it in fewer moves earns a bigger score.
How to play Chess
- Choose Easy, Medium or Hard with the AI button, or press 1 Player to switch to two players.
- You play White and move first. Tap a piece to see green dots for quiet moves and red rings for captures.
- Tap a highlighted square to move. If a pawn reaches the far row, choose a queen, rook, bishop or knight.
- Watch the status line: it tells you about check, and a flashing red king means you must respond.
- Win by checkmating the other king. Stalemate, repetition, the 50-move rule or too little material ends the game as a draw.
Controls
| Keyboard and mouse | Click one of your pieces to select it, then click a highlighted square to move there. Use the buttons under the board to change the computer level, switch between one and two players, or resign. Ctrl+P pauses and Ctrl+M mutes. |
|---|---|
| Phone and tablet | Tap one of your pieces, then tap a highlighted square to move it. The buttons below the board change difficulty, switch player mode or resign. |
Scoring
A win against the computer scores 300 times the level number, plus a bonus of 300 minus five points for every move you took, so faster wins score more. A draw gives 100 times the level, and a loss gives a small score of up to 40 based on how long you lasted. A two-player win gives 100.
Tips and strategy
- Only legal moves are shown, so you can safely tap any piece to see its options. This is a good way to learn how knights and bishops travel.
- Start on Easy to learn, then move to Medium. The computer looks one move ahead on Easy, two on Medium and three on Hard.
- Develop knights and bishops and castle early. The computer values material and central squares, so it can punish a king left in the middle.
- Before each move, check what the computer could capture next. The engine takes free pieces reliably, so a hanging piece is nearly always lost.
- Faster wins score more, so once you are ahead, trade pieces and push for checkmate instead of shuffling.
Chess FAQ
▸Can I play against a friend?
Yes. Press the 1 Player button to switch to 2 Players. Both people take turns on the same screen, with White first. The computer difficulty button disappears in this mode.
▸Do I get to play Black?
No. Against the computer you always play White and the computer replies as Black. In two-player mode, the players share the same board and alternate colors by turn.
▸What counts as a draw?
Stalemate, the same position appearing three times, fifty moves with no pawn move or capture, and positions with only a king and at most one minor piece are all declared draws.
▸Can I undo a move?
There is no undo, so think before you tap the destination. You can start over with the Resign button or by switching modes, which resets the board.
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