30 Open Source Chess Applications

I started my chess programming journey in October 2023.

At the time, I was about three years into learning chess, and I also wanted to get back into programming. Chess felt like the right place to begin. It was something I cared about, something I was already studying, and something that gave me endless small ideas to build.

The first version of Chessboard Magic was released in May 2024 with five small applications. Since then, it has grown far beyond what I originally expected. I have now built more than 60 chess applications, ranging from small experiments to much more complex tools.

I have also written several Lichess blogs about programming in chess, but I recently started thinking about going one step further. Instead of only writing about the ideas, why not extract and document part of the codebase so that other people could use it as a reference?

So that is what I have done.

I am happy to share a GitHub repository containing 30 items from Chessboard Magic, released under the MIT license. This means the code is free to use, copy, modify, and adapt in your own projects, whether they are personal, educational, open-source, or commercial.

GitHub: https://github.com/HollowLeaf1981/chessboardmagic-os

This is not a collection of isolated snippets. It is released as a full application that you can clone, install, run, explore, and modify. Each item is included as part of the same working project, so you can see how the applications fit together rather than only reading disconnected pieces of code. You can see this here: https://hollowleaf1981.github.io/chessboardmagic-os

The motivation is simple. I do not believe every chess app needs to become big, polished, or commercial. Most ideas will remain small. Some will be experiments. Some will only be useful to a handful of people. But if hundreds or thousands of chess apps are created, there is always a chance that one of them becomes genuinely useful, original, or even transformational.

Chess has benefited enormously from open tools, public databases, engines, analysis boards, study platforms, and community projects. My hope is that this repository helps someone build their own chess idea faster, or at least gives them a useful reference point when starting out.

Because the more people building chess tools, the more likely it is that the chess community discovers applications we truly love.

Kind Regards,
Toan Hoang (@HollowLeaf)

Technologies

• Vite — Fast development server and build tool.
• React — Component-based UI framework.
• TypeScript — Adds type safety to the codebase.
• React Router — Handles page routing between applications.
• Zustand — Lightweight state management.
• Tailwind CSS 4 — Utility-first styling.
• shadcn/ui — Reusable UI components.
• React-Chessboard — Interactive chessboard component.
• Stockfish.js — Chess engine support for evaluation-based tools.
• Vitest — Testing framework.
• ESLint — Code linting and rule checking.
• Prettier — Code formatting.

Included Games and Tools

Games

• Anagrams — Unscramble chess-related words.
• Chess Slide — A slider puzzle revealing a hidden chess opening.
• Crossword — Solve chess-themed crossword puzzles.
• Cryptograms — Crack ciphers to reveal chess terms.
• Decrypt Chess — A substitution cipher puzzle game.
• Guess the Elo — Estimate player ratings from their moves.
• Guess the Eval — Predict the engine evaluation of positions.
• Guess the Opening — A Wordle-style opening guessing game.
• Guess Who — Identify famous players from their photos.
• Hangman — Classic hangman with chess vocabulary.
• Image Puzzle — Jigsaw puzzles of famous chess players.
• Play the Opening — Play out famous openings move by move.
• Rotating Image Puzzle — Spin and click to reveal hidden chess images.
• Wordsearch — Find hidden chess terms in a grid.

Learn

• Checkmate Trainer — Practice essential checkmating patterns.
• Coordinate Trainer — Master board coordinates with interactive challenges.
• Fischer Random Trainer — Hand & Brain training for Chess960 positions.
• Hidden Chess — Play with hidden pieces to train visualization.
• Memory Trainer — Memorize a position, then recreate it from memory.
• Notation Trainer — Master chess notation by typing moves from real games.
• Piece Trainer — Sharpen piece movement with Timer and Fewest Moves modes.
• Space Visualizer — See who controls the board, move by move.
• Where Are My Pieces — Identify hidden pieces from famous games.

Library

• Classic Games — The greatest games in chess history.
• Glossary — Demystify chess terminology.
• Miniature Games — Decisive victories in just a few moves.
• Chess Quotes — Inspiring words from chess legends.
• World Championships — Play through historic championship matches.

Tools

• Chess Clock — A customizable chess clock for over-the-board games.
• Fischer Random — Generate Chess960 starting positions.