Chess for kids, with a coach who asks

Dotty's ladybirds take on Bo's blueberries in a full game of chess, drawn by hand. Every piece wears what it's known by: the king's crown, the bishop's mitre, the knight's horse hood. Pick up a piece and the squares it can reach appear as pencil dots, with a one-line reminder of how it moves.

Play chess now, free → A hand-drawn chessboard with ladybird and blueberry pieces, and Fig the frog beside it

How Fig helps

Fig the frog watches the board and speaks up at the big moments, without giving the answer away:

“Something of yours is in danger!” when a piece is left unprotected.
“Something of Bo’s is up for grabs!” when there’s a free piece to catch.
“You can checkmate right now. Can you find it?”
After a slip, Fig asks “what can Bo do now?” and offers a take-back, before the computer replies.
Tap the lightbulb for a hint: a question first, then “show me” if your child is stuck.

Play the computer, or a friend

Bo is powered by Stockfish, the strongest open-source chess engine there is, softened to one, two or three stars. One star leaves pieces hanging and misses checkmates, so beginners really can win; three stars plays nearly perfectly. Or switch to “a friend” and take turns on the same screen.

What chess teaches

Thinking ahead: what happens after my move?
Seeing the whole board, including the other player’s plans.
Patience, and finishing what you start.
Winning and losing gracefully: resigning, offering a draw, playing again.

Made for children

Every capture is a cartoon scuffle in a dust cloud.
Tap any piece to hear its name and how it moves.
Undo, resign and draw offers, and a picker when a pawn is promoted.
An unfinished game is saved, so you can come back to it later.

Questions grown-ups ask

What age can children start chess?

Many children are ready from about six, once they can remember how the pieces move. Trickly shows the moves for every piece you pick up, so younger children can play too, with a grown-up nearby.

How strong is the computer?

One star is for beginners and makes plenty of mistakes; two stars plays sensibly with the odd slip; three stars is a strong player. It runs on Stockfish, on your own device.