1vs1 board
Put the phone on the table or sit at the same laptop, and play. White moves first. The board shows whose turn it is and only takes legal moves, so nobody castles out of check.
How to play two on one screen
Drag a piece, or tap it and then tap the square it goes to. The lit name plate shows whose turn it is.
Pick a clock before you start, 3+2 for blitz, 10+0 for a calmer game, your own time or no clock at all. Black’s clock starts after White’s first move, and the side to move is always the lit clock. Playing face to face with the phone flat between you? Choose Face to face and the top player’s pieces and clock turn round for them. Take back undoes the last move and pauses the clocks. New game asks you to confirm while a game is going, so a stray thumb can’t wipe it.
When the game ends
Checkmate, stalemate, threefold repetition, the 50-move rule and insufficient material all end the game there and then, draws included, so there’s nothing to claim.
Nothing is saved, so closing or reloading the page ends the game.
Everything the 1vs1 board does
A real chess clock
Pick 1+0, 3+2, 5+0, 10+0, 15+10 or 30+0, set your own minutes and increment, or play with no clock. Black’s clock starts after White’s first move, and the increment goes on after every move.
Seats for every table
Same side keeps the board still, for two people at one laptop. Pass the phone turns the board after every move. Face to face turns the top player’s pieces and clock round, for a phone lying flat between you.
Pause
Pause stops both clocks. They also stop when you switch app or tab, so a phone call never costs anyone the game.
Low time and time out
When time runs low the clock turns red, and in the last ten seconds it shows tenths. Running out of time loses, or draws when the other side has nothing left to mate with.
Take back
Take back removes the last move and puts both clocks back where they were after the move before, paused, so the game carries on fairly.
Every ending spotted
Checkmate, stalemate, threefold repetition, the 50-move rule and insufficient material end the game straight away, with the result on screen.
Go back through the game
Step through the moves with the arrows, the left and right keys or the mouse wheel. The clock keeps running, and the board takes moves again once you’re back on the last one.
New game
New game asks before throwing away a game in progress, then opens the clock and seats again with your last choice.
The screen stays on
During a timed game the screen stays awake on browsers that allow it, so it doesn’t go dark in the middle of a think.
What it does, and what it doesn’t
- Two players on one phone, tablet or computer
- Legal moves only, with whose turn it is always on screen
- A chess clock with the usual time controls, your own, or none
- Take back, flip the board, and seats for the same side, passing the phone or face to face
- Checkmate and every draw spotted
- Play across two devices, since you share one screen
- Save the game or take it anywhere else
- Play against the computer
Everything runs in the browser of the device you’re sharing.