Chess

Chess is an advert-free, two-player chess game. You play a friend or family member by text message, each on your own Android phone. There are no adverts, no servers, no accounts and no sign-ups, and it's completely free.

Play at whatever pace suits you both. All you need is the app and a friend.

HOW IT WORKS
1. Start a game and pick your friend from your contacts.
2. Make your move. The app opens Messages with the move already written, for example "Emma played 12. Nf3+ - your move". Tap Send.
3. Your friend copies your text, or shares it to Chess, and the move appears on their board. They reply the same way.

Your text conversation becomes a complete record of the game in standard chess notation, kept in Messages alongside everything else you send each other.

Each text ends with a short code. The app uses it to check every move, so nobody can cheat: a move that rewrites the game, plays for the other side or isn't legal is refused. The code also carries the whole game so far, so a missed text, or a new phone, is put right by the next text.

FEATURES
- No adverts, ever, and no in-app purchases.
- No time limits. Move when it suits you.
- Full chess rules, including castling, en passant, promotion, check, checkmate, stalemate and draws by repetition, the fifty-move rule or lack of material.
- Offer a draw with your move, accept a draw, or resign.
- The winner chooses colours for the next game. After a draw, whoever didn't choose last time chooses.
- A running score for each friend.
- Take back a move until you tap Send.
- Play several friends at once.
- Works with WhatsApp and other messaging apps too.
- Light and dark mode.

PRIVACY
The app has no internet access and collects nothing. It never reads your text messages or your contacts: you choose which message to paste in, and the contact picker shares only the person you pick. Your games stay on your phone. Normal text message charges may apply.

Recent changes:
The app is now called Chess.