Play chess vs the computer
A full casual game in your browser: pick your side, choose a difficulty, and your moves are saved locally so you can continue after a reload.
How to play
Choose your color and difficulty, then press Start.
Tap or drag a piece to move — legal targets are shown. Pawn promotions let you pick the piece.
Use Undo to take back your last move, Flip to rotate the board, or Resign to end the game.
Games are stored only in this browser's local storage. Draws by threefold repetition, the fifty-move rule, and insufficient material end automatically.
Play chess online for free — no sign-up, no download
Web Chess is a complete casual chess game that runs entirely in your browser. Pick White, Black, or a random side, choose one of three difficulty levels, and play a full game against the computer — no account, no install, nothing in your way.
Three bot personalities keep games fresh: Novi plays balanced chess, Rooka hunts your king, and Bishop grinds slow positional pressure. Legal targets highlight as you tap or drag a piece, a hint explains the idea behind a suggestion, and after the game you can export the PGN or step through a move-by-move review.
Everything stays on your device. An unfinished game is saved in this browser's local storage, so you can close the tab and continue later. Practice positions drawn from our tactics guides let you drill back-rank mates, forks, and pawn promotion on demand.
Learn and practice
- TacticsBack-Rank Mate Patterns: Attack and DefenseLearn how back-rank checkmates work, recognize boxed-in kings and overloaded defenders, calculate rook invasions, create luft, and prevent the tactic safely.
- TacticsAnastasia's Mate in Chess: Recognition and DefenseWork through Anastasia's Mate from a restricted king and a mating net; test Ne6 against the defender's best legal resource.
- TacticsChess Forks: How to Attack Two TargetsLearn how knight, pawn, queen, king, rook, and bishop forks work; find forcing fork squares, calculate escape moves, and avoid false or tactically unsound forks.
- BeginnerPawn Promotion in Chess: Rules and ChoicesLearn when a pawn promotes, which pieces you may choose, how underpromotion works, how to write promotion notation, and how to avoid stalemate or illegal moves.
- EndgamesQueen versus Pawn: Essential Technique and PlansStudy Queen versus Pawn from queen against a promotion threat; count the tempo, test Kh6 and verify the exact result boundary.
- EndgamesQueen versus Rook: Essential Technique and PlansStudy Queen versus Rook from Lucena bridge-building; count the tempo, test Ke8 and verify the exact result boundary.
- TacticsDiscovered Check in Chess: Recognition and DefenseWork through Discovered Check from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kb8 against the defender's best legal resource.
- TacticsOverloaded Defender in Chess: Recognition and DefenseWork through Overloaded Defender from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Kf7 against the defender's best legal resource.
- TacticsRook Lift Tactic in Chess: Recognition and DefenseWork through Rook Lift Tactic from two aligned attackers on the king file; test Rxe7+ against the defender's best legal resource.
- TacticsQueen Trap in Chess: Recognition and DefenseWork through Queen Trap from a trapped high-value piece and its escape squares; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
- TacticsDesperado Move in Chess: Recognition and DefenseWork through Desperado Move from an in-between check before the expected recapture; test Kf8 against the defender's best legal resource.
- TacticsDefensive Zwischenzug in Chess: Recognition and DefenseWork through Defensive Zwischenzug from an in-between check before the expected recapture; test Re8 against the defender's best legal resource.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this chess game free?
Yes. Web Chess is completely free, runs in the browser, and needs no account, download, or subscription.
How strong is the computer opponent?
Three levels are available — a relaxed beginner-friendly mode that makes deliberate mistakes, a club-level middle ground, and a hard mode that defends well. You can also pick a bot personality: balanced, aggressive, or positional.
Does my game save if I close the tab?
Yes. The current game is stored in this browser's local storage, so you can resume it after reloading on the same device and browser. Clearing site data erases the save.
Can I take back a move or export the game?
Yes. Undo takes back your last move pair, and you can flip the board, offer a draw, resign, or export the finished game as PGN for analysis elsewhere.
Is my data private?
The game runs entirely in your browser — moves and results stay in local storage on your device. There is no account and no game history kept on our servers.