Classic Chess — Play Free Online

About Classic Chess

Classic Chess is a browser chess game by InfinityGames.io, the studio behind Infinity Loop: Hex, Sudoblocks and Wood Blocks 3D. It was released on Poki in August 2024 and plays on computers, phones and tablets. The rules are standard chess on an eight-by-eight board; what the game adds is a tidy presentation, a computer opponent at three strengths and a local two-player option.

Moving pieces

Click a piece with the mouse, or tap it on a touch screen, and then click or tap the square you want it to go to. When a pawn reaches the far side, a Pawn Promotion panel opens so you can choose its new piece.

Ways to play

• Single player: you play the computer. The game first asks "What is your skill level?" and offers Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. The computer's moves come from Lozza, an open-source JavaScript chess engine included in the game files, and a row of dots fills in while it is thinking.
• Two players: two people share one screen and take turns on the same device.

Options worth knowing

• Customize: change the colours of the pieces and the board.
• Who moves first: pick "Light tiles play first" or "Dark tiles play first" before a game.
• Undo last move: take back a move you regret.
• Settings: switch music, sound effects and piece shadows on or off.

How games end

The game announces check and checkmate, and it also recognises the standard drawn positions: stalemate, threefold repetition and insufficient material. Before a repetition draw it gives a warning headed "Possible Draw", explaining that the match will be drawn if neither player changes their play within the next couple of moves. At the end you see "You've won!", "You've lost!" or "It's a tie", with buttons for a rematch or the home screen.

Tips

• Start on Beginner to learn how the computer plays, then step up once you win comfortably.
• Treat the "Possible Draw" warning as a prompt. If you are ahead, vary your moves so the game does not slip into a repetition draw.
• When you are winning on material, watch for stalemate: leave the opposing king a legal move until you can deliver mate.