Checkmate Café
By @Luckyleaf
Play classic chess against a computer opponent in a relaxing café environment.
How to play
- Select your difficulty level from the menu.
- Tap or click a White piece to see its legal moves highlighted on the board.
- Select a highlighted square to move your piece and end your turn.
- Capture Black pieces by moving onto their occupied squares.
- Trap the Black King to achieve checkmate and win the match.
Controls
- Touch
- Tap a piece to select it, then tap a highlighted square to move.
- Keyboard
- Not supported.
- Mouse
- Click a piece to select it, then click a highlighted square to move.
More about this game
Checkmate Café is a classic game of chess played against a computer opponent. The goal is to checkmate the enemy King by trapping it so it has no legal moves to escape. You take turns moving pieces across the 8x8 board, capturing opponent pieces along the way. You can choose between easy, medium, and hard difficulties to match your skill level. The run ends when a King is checkmated, or if a stalemate occurs when no legal moves remain but the King is not in check.
Tips
- Pawns can move two squares forward on their very first move, but only one square after that.
- When a Pawn reaches the opposite end of the board (row 0 or 7), it can be promoted to a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight.
- The computer evaluates trades based on piece values: Pawns are worth 100 points, Knights 320, Bishops 330, Rooks 500, and Queens 900.
Questions
How do I win?
You win by checkmating the opponent's King. This means the King is under attack and has no legal squares to move to, and no other piece can block the attack.
What happens if there are no legal moves left?
If a player has no legal moves and their King is not currently in check, the game ends in a stalemate. A stalemate is considered a draw, meaning neither side wins.
Can I perform special chess moves?
Yes, castling and en passant are fully supported. To castle, ensure neither the King nor the Rook has moved, the path is clear, and the King is not moving through or into check.