You play White and move first against the House, a modest in-browser opponent. Tap one of your pieces to see where it can go — legal moves are marked with a dot, captures with a ring — then tap a highlighted square to move. All the rules are here: castling, en passant, and pawn promotion (to a queen). Checkmate the House to record a win, saved on this device.
- You White
- Status Your move
- Wins 0
Quick start
You are White
Your pieces sit on the bottom two rows, and White always moves first.
Tap a piece
Legal destinations appear as dots. A ring around a piece means you can take it.
Tap a marked square
Your piece moves, the last move stays highlighted, and the House replies.
Deliver checkmate
Trap the black king and the win is recorded on this device.
Read the board
However you like to play
Mouse or trackpad
Click one of your pieces to select it, then click a marked square. Clicking the same piece again deselects it; clicking an empty square clears the selection.
Touch
Tap to select, tap to move. Nothing is dragged, so a mis-tap never drops a piece somewhere unintended.
Keyboard
Every square is a button. Tab to the piece you want, press Enter or Space to select it, Tab to a marked square, then Enter or Space again. The status line announces check, checkmate, and stalemate as they happen.
What actually helps
- It always takes free material. The House sorts captures first, so a hanging piece will be taken. Do not leave one en prise hoping it looks the other way.
- It only sees two plies. A tactic that pays off on the third move — a deflection, a discovered attack — usually slips straight past it.
- It will not repeat itself. Among moves it rates as near-equal, it picks one at random. The same opening will not produce the same game twice.
- Trade when you are ahead. It values material with a standard table (pawn 100, knight 320, bishop 330, rook 500, queen 900) and has no long-term plan, so simplifying works.
Which colour do I play?
You play White and you move first. The House plays Black.
How strong is the House?
It searches two plies ahead with alpha-beta pruning, scores material with a standard piece table, and adds piece-square bonuses for pawns and knights. It is a genuine opponent and a beatable one.
Are all the chess rules implemented?
Yes. Castling on both sides, en passant, and pawn promotion are all supported, and any move that would leave your own king in check is rejected before you can play it.
What does my pawn promote to?
Always a queen. There is no under-promotion in this version.
Can I take a move back?
No. There is no undo. Press New game to start again.
How do I know when I am in check?
The square under the king in check turns red, and the status line above the board says so.
Does it recognise stalemate?
Yes. If the side to move has no legal move and is not in check, the game is declared a draw.
Where are my wins stored?
In your browser's local storage on this device only. Clear them any time from the Cookie Policy page.
