Master Chess
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About this game
Master Chess is a straightforward game of chess with a clean board, a computer opponent at three strength levels and a two-player mode for sharing one screen. It plays by the full rules, including castling, en passant and pawn promotion, and adds a running score that rewards you for winning quickly.
Practises: Strategy and thinking ahead
Made by another developer and hosted on Brainlag.
How to play
From the menu, choose to play against the computer or against another person on the same device. Against the computer you then pick Easy, Medium or Hard. White moves first, and the goal is the usual one: put the enemy king in checkmate.
Click a piece to select it, then click the square you want it to move to. The game only accepts legal moves and announces Check and Checkmate on the board. When a pawn reaches the last rank, a panel lets you choose which piece it becomes. Stalemate counts as a draw, and so does a long stretch of moves where nothing changes on the board.
Each side starts with 5000 points, and your points tick down by 10 every second while it is your turn to move. When the game ends, the winner keeps whatever is left and the loser drops to zero. A draw leaves both sides with nothing.
Controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Mouse click / tap | Select a piece, then click or tap its destination square |
| Promotion panel | Choose the piece your pawn turns into |
| Settings button | Toggle sound or leave the game |
Tips
- Start on Easy to get used to the board and controls. The computer looks further ahead on each level, so Hard punishes loose pieces much more often.
- Because your score drains only on your own turn, play the opening principles you already know quickly: develop knights and bishops, castle early, then slow down for the tricky middle game.
- Before every move, check what your opponent's last move attacks. Most quick losses against the computer come from missing a simple capture or a knight fork.
- When you are ahead in material, trade pieces. Fewer pieces means fewer tactics for the computer to find and a faster, higher-scoring win.
- In two-player mode, agree beforehand whether you are playing for the score or just for fun, since the clock-based points make slow, careful play cost you.
FAQ
Does it save my progress?
No. Each game is played from start to finish in one sitting. If you close or reload the page, the current game is lost.
Can I play on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Tap a piece and then tap the square you want to move it to. It works the same way with a mouse on laptops and Chromebooks.
Can I beat the Hard computer?
Yes. Hard searches a few moves ahead, which makes it sharp at short tactics but weaker at long-term planning. Keep your pieces protected, avoid early queen raids and aim for a solid endgame.