On 9qum you can play chess against computer for free, in your browser, with no download and only a free one-minute sign-up. The opponent is the Stockfish engine, set to ten levels: Novice (about 600), Beginner (about 900), Amateur (about 1200), then Class III, Class II and Class I, Candidate Master, Master, Grandmaster (about 2500) and Stockfish at maximum (about 3200).
Stockfish is one of the strongest chess engines in the world. On the lower levels it is held back on purpose, so a beginner has a real chance to win, while the top levels show you what near-perfect chess looks like.
The game follows the full rules of chess: castling, en passant, pawn promotion, checkmate and stalemate.
If you have just learned how the pieces move, start with Novice or Beginner. If you play casually with friends, try Amateur. Club players will find a fair fight around Class I and Candidate Master. Stockfish at maximum is far above any human, so treat it as a puzzle, not a sparring partner. When you win twice in a row, move one level up.
Not sure where you stand? Play one game on Amateur: if it feels easy, jump two levels; if you lose quickly, step down. The approximate ratings help you compare levels with your rating on other sites, but treat them as a guide.
Play online against real people and get a Glicko-2 rating. Tournaments are held for chess separately, so you meet players of your own game. To play a friend, send an invite link: they open it and the game starts. Two players can also share one phone. Every game is saved in your history with replay.
In Play with a coach mode, a coach character plays against you and rates each of your moves: best, excellent, good, inaccuracy, mistake or blunder. The coach gives hints, offers a take-back after a bad move and speaks aloud, explaining your mistakes and its own moves. It is a calm way to learn chess at your own pace.
The board adapts to any screen, so you can play chess on a phone, a tablet or a laptop. There is also an Android app on Google Play. The site is available in English, Russian and Kazakh.
To learn chess from scratch, open the Learn section: a 16-step course on a live board covers the rules, the first tactics and how to win. To train your calculation there are Puzzles: 50 positions where you look for the best move and the board checks your answer at once.
Game analysis lets you play moves for both sides, set up your own position and ask the AI for advice. Games against the computer are saved in your history.
Yes, games against all ten Stockfish levels, people, friends and the coach are free.
Yes, a free sign-up that takes a minute. Your account keeps your rating and game history.
They are approximate and show the expected strength of each level, from about 600 to about 3200. Your own rating comes from rated games with people.
Yes, in coach mode the coach offers a take-back after a bad move. Rated games with people have no take-backs.
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