# Chess

> Out-think eight bots, one move at a time.

Full chess against eight named bots, from Dot, who leaves pieces hanging, to Vesper at the top of the ladder. Climb it over weeks, solve a new mate-in-two puzzle every day, or play a friend on one screen.

- Play: https://sidekickarcade.com/play/chess/ (in the browser, phone or computer, free, no sign-up needed)
- Neighborhood: [Tabletop Terrace](https://sidekickarcade.com/category/tabletop/index.md)
- Controls: Tap, click, drag or arrow keys
- Best on: portrait screens
- Coins for goals: 1 per 1 stars, up to 8 a run

## How to play

1. Tap or click a piece, then the square it goes to, or drag it there. On a keyboard, the arrows move a cursor and Enter picks and places.
2. Every rule is in: castling, en passant and promotion to any piece. A game ends in checkmate, or a draw by stalemate, three repeats, fifty moves with no capture or pawn move, or too little material to mate.
3. Beat the bots on the ladder to open the next one. The colors swap each game, and a win earns stars, one for each rung of the bot you beat. A loss or a resignation starts your win streak over.
4. Play a friend on one screen, or solve today's puzzle: White to move and mate in two. A new puzzle comes at midnight UTC.

## Tips

- Before every move, look at what your opponent's last move attacks. Most games are lost to a piece left hanging.
- Castle early. A king tucked behind its pawns is far harder to mate than one left in the middle.
- Develop knights and bishops before you bring the queen out, and fight for the four middle squares.
- When you are ahead, trade pieces. A rook or a queen up is easy to win with little else left on the board.

## Questions

### Is it free?

Yes. It's free to play in your browser, with no download and no sign-up needed. Coins you earn are for fun and can never be bought.

### Can two people play?

Yes. Choose 2 players and take turns on the same phone, tablet or computer. The colors swap each game.

### Can I play against the computer?

Yes. Eight bots, from Dot, who is still learning how the pieces move, to Vesper at the top of the ladder. Each one opens after you beat the one before it a few times.

### Which rules does it use?

The standard rules of chess, with castling, en passant and promotion to any piece. A game is drawn by stalemate, by the same position three times, by fifty moves each with no capture or pawn move, or when neither side has enough material to mate.

### Is there a daily puzzle?

Yes. Every day at midnight UTC there is a new mate in two: find the one first move that forces mate, then give the mate. Solve it each day to keep your streak going.

### Can I take a move back?

Yes, Undo takes back your last move. A game where you used it doesn't count toward the ladder, unless you lose it anyway.

## Achievements

- **First move** (bronze, 10 coins): Finish your first game.
- **First win** (bronze, 10 coins): Beat a bot on the ladder.
- **Puzzle solver** (bronze, 10 coins): Solve a daily puzzle.
- **Safe and sound** (bronze, 10 coins): Castle in a game against a bot.
- **New queen** (bronze, 10 coins): Promote a pawn in a game against a bot.
- **Regular** (bronze, 10 coins): Play 10 games.
- **Biscuit's match** (silver, 25 coins): Beat Biscuit, the second bot.
- **On a roll** (silver, 25 coins): Win 5 games in a row against the bots.
- **Puzzle week** (silver, 25 coins): Solve the daily puzzle 7 days in a row.
- **Passing through** (silver, 25 coins): Take a pawn en passant against a bot.
- **Quick mate** (silver, 25 coins): Checkmate a bot within 20 of your moves.
- **Table regular** (silver, 25 coins): Play 50 games.
- **Winner** (silver, 25 coins): Win 25 games against the bots.
- **Fair fight** (silver, 25 coins): Draw 5 games against the bots.
- **Sharp eye** (silver, 25 coins): Take 300 pieces against the bots.
- **Halfway up** (gold, 60 coins): Beat Fennel, the fourth bot.
- **Past the guard** (gold, 60 coins): Beat Quill, the sixth bot.
- **Royal pair** (gold, 60 coins): Have two queens at once against a bot.
- **Unbeaten** (gold, 60 coins): Win 15 games in a row against the bots.
- **Puzzle month** (gold, 60 coins): Solve the daily puzzle 30 days in a row.
- **Century** (gold, 60 coins): Win 100 games against the bots.
- **Clean sweep** (gold, 60 coins): Beat every bot at least once.
- **Hard hitter** (gold, 60 coins): Win 20 games against Quill, Hazel or Vesper.
- **Old hand** (gold, 60 coins): Play 200 games.
- **Secret achievement** (gold, 60 coins): Keep playing to find it.
- **Top of the ladder** (diamond, 150 coins): Beat Vesper, the top bot. Earns the title "Chess Ace".
- **Vesper's rival** (diamond, 150 coins): Beat Vesper 10 times. Earns the title "Endgame Legend".
- **Puzzle sage** (diamond, 150 coins): Solve the daily puzzle 100 days in a row. Earns the title "Puzzle Sage".

## More to play

- [Checkers](https://sidekickarcade.com/play/checkers/index.md): Jump, crown and climb the bot ladder. (Tabletop Terrace)
- [Reversi](https://sidekickarcade.com/play/reversi/index.md): Flip discs to own the board. (Tabletop Terrace)
- [Four in a Row](https://sidekickarcade.com/play/four-in-a-row/index.md): Drop discs to make four in a row. (Tabletop Terrace)