Checkmate Coach

Play Checkmate Coach

Players

1 or 2: the computer at ten levels, a friend on one device, or a friend or a waiting player online

Modes

Standard or Chess960, a clock from none through 1+0, 3+2, 5+0, 10+0 and 15+10 to 30+0, takebacks on or off

Levels

Ten computer levels from First steps to Master, each with a plain line on how it plays

Fairness

No luck in play: your colour and a Chess960 start are drawn fairly, and the computer sees only the board

Developer

Classic Games

Works on

Phone, tablet and computer browsers. Nothing to install.

Released

October 2026

• Board
• Multiplayer
• Puzzle
• Chess
• Strategy
• 2 player
• Vs computer
• Online

Checkmate Coach is free chess in your browser with a coach beside the board. Play the computer at ten levels, from First steps to Master, each described in plain words so you can pick the right one. Ask for a hint that teaches instead of one that plays for you, press Threats to see what your opponent wants, and after every game get a free review that classes each move and says why. No account, no download, and the whole game works offline.

There are three ways to play. Against the computer, with the hint ladder, the Threats button and the review on your side. Pass and play, with two people sharing one screen. Online, in a room with a six-letter code or an invite link, or through Quick match, which pairs you with a waiting player on the same clock. Choose Standard chess or Chess960, a clock from none through 1+0, 3+2, 5+0, 10+0 and 15+10 to 30+0, and whether takebacks are allowed.

Beyond games there is a daily puzzle, the same for everyone with a streak, practice puzzles by theme with a rating kept on your device, twelve short lessons for new players, and an analysis board where you can paste a PGN or FEN and send a challenge link. Nine board looks, among them High contrast and Colour-blind safe, keyboard play and screen reader announcements keep the board readable for every player, and the first load is under 100 KB of script.

How to play chess here

1. Choose a mode: the computer, pass and play or an online room. Against the computer pick a level, from First steps to Master, each with a plain description, and your colour: White, Black or Random.
2. Set the rules you like: Standard or Chess960, a clock from none to 30+0 with an increment where the setting has one, and takebacks on or off. Online, Quick match pairs you with a waiting player who chose the same clock.
3. White moves first. Tap a piece to see its legal squares as dots and its captures as rings, then tap the square, or drag the piece there. On a keyboard the arrow keys move the cursor and Enter picks.
4. Each piece moves in its own way: the king one square, the queen, rook and bishop along open lines, the knight in an L that jumps, and the pawn forward with diagonal captures. Castling, en passant and promotion follow the FIDE Laws, and a pawn that reaches the last rank asks which piece it becomes unless you turn on Always promote to a queen.
5. Stuck? The hint ladder helps in steps: first where to look, then the idea, then the move with an arrow. The Threats button shows what the opponent would play if it were their turn. At levels 1 to 4 the safety net asks before a move that leaves a piece to be taken for free.
6. Give checkmate to win. Stalemate, the same position three times, fifty moves without a capture or a pawn move, and a position where nobody can ever mate end the game as a draw on their own, and the result sheet explains the reason in one sentence. You can also resign or offer a draw.
7. After the game, open Review: every move is classed, from Brilliant and Best move down to Big mistake, with a plain reason and the better move, accuracy for each side, a win-chance graph and key moments you can try again from.

Controls

Drag a piece, or tap it and then its square; legal moves show as dots and captures as rings. On a keyboard the arrow keys move the cursor, Enter selects and moves, and Escape clears the selection. The game screen has Hint, Undo, Threats and Flip board, and More holds the insights bar, the threat lens, the safety net, zen mode, draw offers, resign and Copy PGN. Screen readers hear every move and the cursor announced, and reduced motion makes moves instant.

A free game review that explains every move

After any game the review runs on your device, free and without limits. Every move gets a class, Brilliant, Best move, Could be better, Mistake, Missed chance or Big mistake, with a plain-language reason such as which piece was left undefended or which mate was missed, and the better move shown as an arrow. You get accuracy for each side, a win-chance graph that shows where the game turned, and up to three key moments with Try again, which starts a fresh game against the same level from that position so you can find the better path yourself. The name of the opening appears under the board as you play, so you learn what you are playing.

Hints that teach, not hints that play for you

The hint ladder gives help in three steps: where to look, the idea behind the move, and only then the move itself with an arrow. The Threats button shows what your opponent would play next if it were their move, as an arrow and one sentence. The threat lens marks any of your pieces that can be taken for free with a dashed frame and a badge, a shape as well as a colour. At levels 1 to 4 the safety net asks before you play a move that leaves a piece hanging. The insights bar adds a live evaluation in plain words and the best line. All of these belong to offline games; online rooms show none of them, so every room is fair for both players.

Ten honest levels, puzzles and lessons

The ten computer levels, First steps to Master, differ only in how deep the computer looks and how much random noise is added to its scores, never in luck, and each one has a plain line on what it sees. Win twice in a row without hints and the game offers the next level. For practice there is a daily puzzle, the same for everyone with a streak, and 660 practice puzzles by theme such as forks, pins and mate in two, with a rating kept on your device. Twelve lessons cover each piece, capturing, check, getting out of check, checkmate, castling and en passant on small boards. The analysis board takes any pasted PGN or FEN and can send a challenge link that carries the position.

Tips for playing better chess

• Start with the centre: pawns and knights that control the middle squares give every piece more room to move.
• Castle early. A king tucked behind its pawns is harder to attack, and the game shows castling as a legal move whenever the rules allow it.
• Before every move, ask what your opponent wants. The Threats button shows it, and after a while you will see it without pressing.
• Use the hint ladder one step at a time. Where to look is often enough, and finding the move yourself is how it sticks.
• Read the review after every game, win or lose. The key moments show where the game turned, and Try again lets you find the better move yourself.
• Practise the puzzle theme that matches your most common mistake; the progress screen names it, and the daily puzzle keeps the habit going.

Frequently asked questions