How to play
Setting up a game
When the board opens, it shows the new game's choices. Whatever you asked for in the chat is already chosen. Change anything you like, then start.
All articlesThe choices
| Choice | Options | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Claude or ChatGPT itself; the same with engine hints; Stockfish | The assistant itself |
| Level | 1 to 8, with engine hints or against Stockfish | 4, Club |
| Your side | White, Black or Random | White |
| Time | Untimed, 1+0, 3+2, 5+0, 10+0 or 15+10 | Untimed |
| Commentary | Off, Brief or Full, against the assistant | Brief |
| Help and teaching | On or Off | Off |
Your opponent
- The assistant itself. Claude or ChatGPT plays you with no engine behind it, explains its ideas and talks with you. Its play can be uneven.
- With engine hints. The same conversation, with stronger play: before each move, the assistant sees a few of the engine's moves, at the level you chose, and picks one.
- Stockfish. The engine on its own. It answers at once and doesn't talk.
The level
The level sets how strongly the engine plays: 1 Beginner, 2 Novice, 3 Casual, 4 Club, 5 Strong club, 6 Expert, 7 Master candidate, 8 Master. The assistant on its own has no level to choose.
Your side and the clock
White moves first. Random picks a side for you when the game starts. A clock is optional, and with one, only your time runs: see The clock.
Commentary
How much the assistant says about its own moves: Off, Brief (a line) or Full (a few sentences). It answers your questions whatever you choose. Stockfish doesn't comment. You can change the commentary during the game in Settings.
Help and teaching
Turns on the hint, the threat warning, the blunder check, takebacks and “Why that move?”, all together, for this game. It starts off, and you can turn it on or off at any time in Settings. See Help while you play.
In ChatGPT: answers on the board only
Against the assistant in ChatGPT, this switch starts on. When the game starts, the board sends ChatGPT one message, asking it to wait for your moves on the board and to answer there. Leave it on: it keeps ChatGPT playing on the board for the whole game.
Starting
When everything is set, start the game. Against the assistant, where the app offers it, you can play in fullscreen, with the chat beside the board, or right in the chat.