Chess Tactics
Play Chess Tactics free online — play as White against a strategic AI, capture pieces, and deliver checkmate across Easy, Medium, and Hard. Castling and en passant included. No download.
Strategy
Chess Tactics
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📖 How to Play
Tap a white piece to select it, then tap a highlighted square to move. Capture all AI pieces or deliver checkmate to win. Legal moves are shown automatically — castling and en passant included!
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How do I castle in Chess Tactics?
To castle, select your king and tap the destination square two squares to the left or right. Castling is only available if neither the king nor the rook has moved, there are no pieces between them, and the king is not in check or passing through an attacked square.
What difficulty levels are available?
Chess Tactics offers Easy (ideal for beginners), Medium (a balanced challenge), and Hard (deep strategic AI using alpha-beta minimax search). Hard difficulty evaluates moves several moves ahead using positional scoring.
Is Chess Tactics free to play online?
Yes — completely free with no downloads or registration needed. Chess Tactics runs entirely in your browser with 60fps canvas rendering on any device, including mobile and tablet.
How deep does the Chess Tactics AI search?
Easy looks 1 ply ahead, Medium 2, Hard 3, all with alpha-beta minimax. Default is Medium. Hard is slower to move (0.8 s think time) because it searches further — it is still a lightweight browser AI, not a grandmaster engine.
How is the score calculated in Chess Tactics?
Capturing a Black piece scores its value ÷ 10: pawn 10, knight 32, bishop 33, rook 50, queen 90. Check is +5, en passant +10, and checkmate adds 500. You always play White; stalemate scores 0 extra.
What is each capture worth in Chess Tactics?
Black pieces score pawn 10, knight 32, bishop 33, rook 50, queen 90. Check adds 5, en passant adds 10, and checkmate adds 500. You always play as White.
Is Chess Tactics multiplayer or online?
No — solo versus AI only. Pick Easy (1-ply), Medium (2-ply), or Hard (3-ply) minimax search. There is no online multiplayer or pass-and-play hot seat.
Can I underpromote a pawn in Chess Tactics?
No. There is no promotion picker. When a White pawn reaches the 8th rank, the first legal move applied is queen — rook, bishop, and knight promotions exist in the move generator but tapping the square always takes queen. No undo, no hints. You always play White versus the AI.
What is the fastest way to build a high score in Chess Tactics?
Hunt Black pieces with captures whose value ÷ 10 compounds fast: two knights and a rook are already 114 points before any check bonus (+5 each) and the +500 checkmate payout. The winning line matters less than the material haul — but remember the game ends the moment Black is checkmated, so time captures before mating moves and never rush a mate while queens are still on the board.