ZYVEN

Online chess with your friends

All the rules are there: castling, en passant, promotion, stalemate, repetition, the 50-move rule. Tap a piece to see where it can go, drag it, and replay the game move by move.

Four time controls: Rapid 10 minutes, Blitz 5 minutes, Blitz 3 + 2 and Bullet 1 minute. Ranked games raise your rating.

Players : 2One game : 10 min

Chess

The rules

Goal

  • Checkmate the enemy king: under attack, with no move to escape.

Your turn

  • Tap a piece to see where it can go, or drag it. White moves first; who gets White is drawn at random.
  • Each player has a clock: time runs out, you lose — unless the other can no longer checkmate. 30 seconds to make your first move.

Special moves

  • All the official rules: castling, en passant, promotion of your choice, checkmate.
  • Castling: the king slides two squares toward a rook that jumps over it, if neither has moved and the king isn’t in check.
  • A pawn that reaches the last row becomes the piece of your choice, usually a queen.

Game over

  • Draw by stalemate, threefold repetition, the 50-move rule or insufficient material. You can also offer a draw.

Tips

  • Bring out your knights and bishops early, and castle quickly to keep your king safe.
  • Before each move, ask yourself what your opponent’s last move threatens.

Game modes

Rapid 10 min
Ten minutes each: time to think.
Blitz 5 min
Five minutes each, it goes fast.
Blitz 3 + 2
Three minutes, plus two seconds per move.
Bullet 1 min
One minute for the whole game. For steady nerves.

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