Ever Wanted to Play Chess Against a Computer Online?
Here is a chance to play chess online against a basic chess computer. This computer chess program was written to run in flash, but it still gives a decent game. This is a free game, uses a 3d chess board and needs no download. Could it be the best free online chess program out there?
If you want a tougher game then try some of the other computer chess engine download links on this site. Almost any UCI chess engine from Jim Ablett’s page will give an incredibly strong game, or you could download the Crafty chess computer which is also available with its own graphical user interface.
ATTENTION
If you are experiencing difficulty loading the game and playing chess online read this.
To play chess you must both install flash and then enable it your browser.
For example, in Chrome, after flash installation click on settings -> “advanced” and scroll down to “content settings” click this and then enable flash there.
You must complete BOTH downloading flash and enabling it in your browser for the chess game to work and be visible!
If after performing both actions the game still does not appear, then hard refresh your browser cache (control-F5 on Chrome).
FlashCHESS3 – Play Chess Online Against Computer
FlashChess can also be downloaded to play on the desktop of your computer.
It is available from http://www.flashchess3.com/download.html
If this easy chess game is too easy for you, or you just fancy a change, why not try our new online computer chess program?
Donald says
It seems a lot of people blame the game for applying actual chess rules about Pawn moves, Draws and other simple applications of the rules. Computer code is actually pretty good at following rules. This game actually does a pretty good job, better than most humans. No one complains that it lets you take back moves! Now that is a rule violation that should not be allowed! But this is not tournament chess and instead is a learning tool! My thoughts on this and suggestions to prove draws are outlined below: Hopefully you will find this helpful. Thanks for a great game!
I think this is a great game and it seems to follow the rules just fine. Years ago I played a friend of mine and beat him using “en passant” most players are unaware of this simple rule. He was livid angry until I handed him the rule sheet. “Oh” he replied as he read a rule he had overlooked for 30 years. Read the rules before complaining folks.
Draws. Again, read the rules. Yes, when the other side offers or forces a draw in a “real game” (and in this computer game) you “could have won” (if not for the pesky rules saying “you took too long”), that is the point of the game! you need to win when you can and avoid drawn situations. Good chess players often salvage a poorly played middle game with a draw in the endgame by not giving up and continuing to think strategically. This makes the game fun! The thinking to me is fun, not the memorized moves game play many use. Amateurs assume just because they have all their pieces on the board and the opponent has only a king that they win! The game is not scored like this, (though it is a good situation to be in no argument there). Remember you must make the King surrender in a captured position of “Check and Mate”. If the king is not in a “Check” position on his turn and discovers he has no move then he is not defeated, he is drawn! (Remember the simple rule “King may not move in a way that puts himself in check on that move”, at the end game if he is cornered with no other legal, it is a draw). So be careful to win fast when you have a huge advantage of just his King against your army! You can easily accidentally trap him and basically end a sure victory with a tie! (Repetition and 50 move rules are other draw situations I am not addressing here. But follow below tip and you can see when these apply.)
To Prove a draw is correct. Before restarting a game go to the Summary of moves, copy all into the clipboard of your computer,
paste into an email or word document and send to your printer.
Now take your printed game, and recreate it on the real chess board. Highlight on the paper the point of the game where the 50 move rule would start by counting backward. Or simply look at the board. You may notice the opponent has no “legal moves” or some other factor which you overlooked on the computer screen. This trick of pasting the game and printing it and then replaying on a real board or having an expert look at the game can also help you analyze where you went wrong. If you easily beat this computer game all the time, then you are not the audience that the game was written for. It was written for hobbyists like myself
who are not Internationally Ranked players but enjoy the game and want a thinking excursion but have no human opponent handy.
Dave says
Thank you for your obviously well considered and detailed comment.
Dave.
BC says
Very well said my friend. The name of the game is not to take yourself to serious. On the other side, you will never reach the level, that the masters have ( example Bobby Fisher ) You really have to go mad, and, and let it become an obsession. It really doesn’t matter, because artificial generated computers, can beat any player ever born. I am 72 years old, and I indulge my self to try to keep my mind active.. I play this free online chess, and I play all the modes, I find that the first two are fairly easy and make mistakes. I would like to meet someone on line to play. chess with. email me. My email address is: *removed*
Dave says
Sorry, we don’t allow publication of email names. Dave
Ruff says
Bedridden, picked chess after some 55 years to pass time. The programme here offers you checkmate positions – you should be able to recognise them and win most games easily. Expect a blitzkrieg attack every 20/25th game.
Deepak Bisht says
Love to Play with computer
Deepak Bisht says
Nice to Play with computer
FKB says
Increase level of strategy to expert level.
suresh chandra says
super play with computer and enjoy
satish setty says
nice to play
Kara Wells says
i dont even know how to play chess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO EASY ON ME IM GIVING IT A GO
pulak ranjan khatua says
I want to play chess with computer
benn fisher says
if i buy this can i play player vs player?
Dave says
The version listed on this page is an early version of the software. I am not sure that the developer (not me) supports player versus player chess with this release. The updated version is available by following the flash chess link. You could email them once on their site.
I will (eventually!) update the chess games on this site to take advantage of more modern web technology, but I am unsure whether player vs player is something I want to add right now due to the fairly high levels of cheating in online chess. Computer chess cheats ruin the online experience on many websites and unless I am sure I can catch 99% of them I am loathe to spoil the game for those that play honestly.
My aim with this site is to encourage casual and fun play. Despite the protestations of some, the current program only make legal moves! 🙂