How to play

Each side gets a rook, queen, and king, plus two back-rank slots that are independently a knight or a bishop each game — both sides always mirror, so the lottery is fair.

Standard chess rules apply: check, checkmate, stalemate, and pawns promote straight to queen on the far rank. No castling, no two-square pawn moves, no en passant — the board is too small for any of that.

Tap or click a piece to see its legal moves, then tap the destination. Works identically with mouse and touch.

Play solo against the machine on easy, medium, or hard, or play humans: quick match pairs you with a stranger, or create a room and send the 4-letter code to a friend.

Scoring

• Every win counts 1 on the leaderboard, and wins accumulate — beat strangers, friends, or the medium and hard machines. Easy-bot wins don't count; you know what you did.
• An opponent who abandons a live game forfeits, and the win is yours.

Tips

• Queens are terrifying on 25 squares — there is nowhere to hide. Trade her off only for full value.
• Pawns are two moves from promotion the moment they start. Every pawn push is a threat.
• Check which minor pieces the lottery dealt before planning: bishops love the long diagonals, knights own the crowded middle.

Frequently asked questions

Which colour moves first?

White, as tradition demands. In multiplayer rematches the colours swap each game; in solo you pick your side up front.

Is hard mode beatable?

Yes — it searches five moves deep, which is strong but mortal. It has no opening book and no idea who you are.

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