Play Chess vs Computer — Free Chess AI
Play chess against the computer or a chess AI for free: Stockfish at five levels in your browser — no download, no account — then an engine review.
Play a full game against the computer here — a chess AI that runs right in your browser, with no account and nothing to install. The opponent is Stockfish 16, one of the strongest chess engines in the world, held back on purpose to whichever level you choose. Pick a side and a strength, and the first move is one click away. Every finished game gets an analysis afterwards — an evaluation bar, the moves that actually changed the result, and where each side lost the most.
Which opponent to pick
- Sprout (about 700) still forgets its pieces. If you have just learned how the knight moves, this is the one that lets you finish a game.
- Harpoon (about 1300) attacks early and goes for your king. Survive the first fifteen moves and it usually falls apart — good practice at not panicking.
- The Wall (about 1600) rarely blunders and trades whenever it can. It teaches endgames, because that is where it beats you.
- Mirror plays at your own rating, so the game stays close whatever that rating is. It is the honest measure of where you actually are.
- The Master plays at full strength, around 2600. Nobody expects to win; it is for seeing what happens when a mistake gets punished immediately.
Getting something out of it
- Play the level just above the one you beat comfortably. An engine you always lose to teaches nothing except that you lose.
- Take a move back when you spot the mistake yourself, not when you dislike the position — the first is study, the second is a new game with extra steps.
- Read the analysis afterwards and look only at the two or three moves marked as blunders. A whole game reviewed at once is a whole game forgotten at once.
- An engine never gets tired or falls for the same trap twice, so treat a loss as information rather than a verdict.
Questions people ask
- Is it free?
- Yes, all five levels and the analysis afterwards. There is nothing to buy on this site.
- Do I need an account?
- No. An account only matters if you want a rating, online games against people, or your games kept.
- How strong is the computer?
- From roughly 700 to 2600 Elo. It is Stockfish held back on purpose at the lower levels, so a weak bot plays like a weak human rather than a strong one making random moves.
- Can I take a move back?
- Yes, and you can ask for a hint. Both are there because this is practice, not a rated game.
- Does it work on a phone?
- Yes, and there is no app to install — the board is built for a small screen.