Questions
Chessdox FAQ
Short, direct answers about playing chess on Chessdox: accounts, invitations, the computer, clocks, draws, devices, privacy and replays.
Getting started
- Do I need an account to play chess on Chessdox?
- No. Choose your settings and start playing. There is no registration, no email address and no password. You can type a display name if you like, or play as Anonymous.
- Is Chessdox free?
- Yes. Every game, every time control and every computer level is free, and there are no ads on the board.
- Do I have to install anything?
- No. Chessdox runs in any modern browser on phones, tablets and computers. The computer opponent runs on our server, so your device only needs to display the board.
Playing with a friend
- How do I invite a friend to a game?
- Choose Another player as the opponent and create the game. Chessdox shows an invite link; send it to your friend by any messenger or email. The first person who opens it and joins becomes your opponent.
- Can someone else join with the same link?
- No. The invitation inside the link can be used once. After your friend has joined, the link no longer claims a seat. Before anyone joins you can also replace the link, which disables the old one.
- What happens if I close the tab or lose the connection?
- Your seat is kept in your browser. Open the game again on the same browser and you are back at the board; moves confirmed by the server are never lost. If it is your move, your clock keeps running while you are away.
Playing the computer
- How strong is the computer?
- There are four levels: Beginner, Casual, Challenging and Expert. Beginner makes deliberate mistakes and suits new players; Expert searches deepest and always plays the move it rates best.
- Can I choose my color against the computer?
- Yes. Pick White, Black or Random before you start. The computer takes the other side and replies after a short pause.
Rules and clocks
- Which time controls can I use?
- No clock, 3 + 2, 5 + 0, 10 + 0, 15 + 10, or a custom time with your own minutes and increment. The server keeps the official time for both players.
- Are draws by repetition and the fifty-move rule supported?
- Yes. Threefold repetition and the fifty-move rule can be claimed, fivefold repetition and the seventy-five-move rule end the game automatically, and stalemate or positions without mating material are drawn. Against a person you can also offer and accept draws.
- Can I premove or draw arrows?
- Yes. While your opponent is thinking you can queue one premove. Right-click, or long-press on touch screens, to draw arrows and circles on the board.
Privacy and replays
- Are my games public?
- Games between two people are always private and never published. A finished game against the computer can become an anonymous public replay only if the public replay option is on when you create the game.
- What does a public replay contain?
- The moves, the result, the time control and the computer level. It never shows a name you typed, and it is not connected to the private game room.
- Can I keep a record of my game?
- Yes. When a game ends, download it as a PGN file, the standard format that every chess program can open.