Move a piece
Tap a piece, then tap a highlighted destination. You can also drag a piece directly to any legal square.
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A clear path back to the board.
Find quick answers for starting a game, making legal moves, using special rules, and resolving the most common gameplay questions.
Native app available on iPhone and iPad.
- Designed for
- iPhone & iPad
- Requires
- iOS 17 or later
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Kingswood Chess
White to move
Play privately with a friend or challenge the built-in computer opponent. No account or download is required.
BlackLocal player
WhiteTo move
The essentials
Quick help
Start over
Choose New Game below the board. If a game is underway, Kingswood Chess asks before clearing it.
Change the view
Use Flip Board to rotate the board visually. Piece ownership, coordinates, and the current turn do not change.
Complete standard play
The rules are handled for you.
Kingswood Chess validates check, checkmate, stalemate, castling, en passant, promotion, repetition, the fifty-move rule, and insufficient material. Legal moves never allow your own king to remain in check.
Answers at a glance
Common questions
Open a topic below for concise guidance. Your games are played locally and Kingswood Chess does not require an account.
Why can’t I move the piece I selected?
Confirm that it is that color’s turn and that the destination is legal. A move is also rejected if it would leave your own king in check. During a computer turn, promotion choice, or completed game, the board waits before accepting another move.
How do I show possible moves?
Open Settings from the button near the game title and enable Show Legal Moves. Turn it off whenever you prefer to choose moves without destination hints.
How does pawn promotion work?
When a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board, choose a Queen, Rook, Bishop, or Knight from the promotion sheet. The turn is completed only after you make a selection.
When is castling available?
The king and selected rook must never have moved, the squares between them must be empty, and the king cannot be in check or cross an attacked square. Select the king to see castling when it is legal.
Why did my en passant option disappear?
En passant is available only on the move immediately after an opposing pawn advances two squares beside your pawn. Making any other move ends that opportunity.
What does Undo restore?
Undo restores the complete previous position, including captured pieces, turn, castling rights, en passant availability, promotion state, clocks, and move history.
How do I play against the computer?
From game setup, choose Player vs Computer, select your color and difficulty, then begin. If you choose Black, the computer opens as White.
How do I change sounds or haptics?
Open Settings during a game to adjust sound effects, haptic feedback, board appearance, and legal-move hints.
What information is collected by the app?
Kingswood Chess does not require an account and does not collect names, email addresses, device identifiers, location, contacts, gameplay activity, or other personal information. The app does not include advertising, analytics, or cross-app tracking.
Before requesting help
A quick troubleshooting checklist
- Confirm the current turn shown above the board.
- Check whether the king is in check or the game has ended.
- Complete any open pawn-promotion choice.
- Use New Game if you want to reset the complete position.
- If an issue continues, restart the app and reproduce the move.