Use it when
You want a quiet desktop board for a quick game against Stockfish, a local two-player match, or a post-game review that shows where the evaluation turned.
Chessboard · Desktop chess
A focused chessboard for desktop
Play against Stockfish 18 or a friend on the same screen, then review the full game with a centipawn curve and annotated mistakes.
A look inside
Play Stockfish, then inspect every move
The board keeps the current game, Stockfish controls, SAN move list, review curve, themes, and PGN tools together in one desktop app.
Engine review
See where the evaluation turned
Run a full-game Stockfish pass to build a centipawn curve and mark mistakes on the move list. Jump to any position, then continue from there.
Board themes
Wood, night, day, or paper
Keep the same game state while switching appearance. Flip the board, mute sound, and keep local stats by difficulty.
Fit and limits
Fit and limits
Current platforms
Desktop releases for macOS and Windows; no online matchmaking or accounts.
Local by design
Gameplay, autosave, analysis, and imported records run locally. Chessboard is a desktop board, not an online chess service.
At the board
At the board
Stockfish at four strengths
Play against Stockfish 18 from beginner Elo 1320 through full strength. Choose white or black; playing black flips the board for you.
Two-player on one screen
Switch to local two-player mode and take turns on the same board without an engine reply.
Complete rules, clear moves
Legal moves highlight as dots and capture rings. Castling, en passant, promotion, checkmate, stalemate, and draw claims are enforced by chess.js.
Full-game review
Run an engine pass to build a centipawn curve and annotate mistakes on the move list. Jump to any position, then continue from a chosen move.
PGN and FEN tools
Copy, export, paste, or import a PGN record; copy the current FEN whenever you need the exact position.
Themes, flip, and stats
Switch wood, night, day, or paper themes, flip the board with F, and keep win–loss–draw stats by difficulty across restarts.
Questions & download
Which systems are supported?
The current release provides an Apple Silicon arm64 build for macOS and an x64 build for Windows. An Intel Mac build is not published.
Does it need an account or internet connection?
No account is required. Gameplay, autosave, analysis, and PGN work stay local; you only need the internet to download a release.
Can I bring in an existing game?
Yes. Paste or import a PGN file, review the move list, jump to any position, and continue from there if you choose.
What license does it use?
Chessboard is GPLv3. It vendors Stockfish.js 18 (GPLv3) and chess.js 0.13.4 (BSD-2-Clause).