Game Features Guide
Hint Feature
The Hint feature provides suggestions for your next move. Each difficulty level gives you a different number of hints:
- Easy: 1 hint available
- Medium: 1 hint available
- Hard: 1 hint available
- Expert: 1 hint available
Undo Feature
The Undo feature allows you to take back your last move. Each difficulty level gives you a different number of undos:
- Easy: 1 undo available
- Medium: 1 undo available
- Hard: 1 undo available
- Expert: 1 undo available
Threats Feature
The Threats feature shows you which pieces are threatened by your opponent and which are protected by your pieces. Every one of your own pieces on the board gets a status frame — not just the ones already being attacked. Each difficulty level gives you a different number of threat visualizations:
- Threatened pieces get a red frame directly around them
- Protected/Defended pieces get a blue frame directly around them (a piece that's both attacked and defended gets both frames at once)
- High Threat: Your valuable pieces (Queen, King) are under immediate attack
- Medium Threat: Medium-value pieces (Rooks, Bishops, Knights) are under attack
- Low Threat: Pawns or less critical pieces are threatened
- Potential Threat: Pieces that could be threatened in your opponent's next move
- Threat Sources are highlighted with pulsating red border
The Threat Report provides a detailed analysis of threats, including a summary of immediate and potential threats, detailed list of threatened pieces with their priority levels, and recommended actions to handle the threats. Access the Threat Report via the advice button after using the Threats feature. Potential threats only cover squares that aren't already under attack right now — for each one, the report spells out exactly which of your pieces is at risk and the specific opponent move that would set it up (the same piece doing the attacking, from its new square) — e.g. "Your Bishop on B1 could become vulnerable if the opponent moves a piece from C8 to F5."
Extra Time Feature
The Extra Time feature gives you additional time when you're running low. Each difficulty level gives you a different number of extra time uses:
- Easy: No extra time available
- Medium: 1 extra time (adds 1 minute)
- Hard: 1 extra time (adds 1 minute)
- Expert: 1 extra time (adds 1 minute)
Refill Feature
The Refill feature becomes active when you've used all available hints, undos, threat visualizations, and extra time uses. When you click the Refill button:
- All features are restored to their maximum capacity
- The number of available uses is based on your current difficulty level
- You can continue using the features to enhance your gameplay
- Refill requires a small Pi payment, calculated at the current market rate, using the Pi Network
Price: $0.006 per refill, charged in Pi at the current market rate (currently ≈ … π).
Note: The Refill button only activates when all features are completely depleted. Payments are processed securely via Pi Network.
Chess Pi Premium
Tap the crown icon to subscribe to Chess Pi Premium and unlock every level, board theme, piece set, and bot personality — plus Statistics and Game Analysis — at once for as long as your subscription is active:
- Monthly: $0.50, billed as a one-time Pi charge that activates 30 days of Premium
- Yearly: $4.00, billed as a one-time Pi charge that activates 365 days of Premium — the best value plan
Note: The yearly plan is highlighted as the best value because it costs less than paying monthly for a full year — the modal shows exactly how much you save. The Pi price for either plan is calculated at the current market rate.
Starter Offer: A reduced-price way to try Chess Pi Premium, shown only to eligible players who have never purchased regular Premium before. It runs for two 30-day cycles at a fixed Pi price — 0.5 π for the first 30 days, then 1.5 π for a second 30 days — after which you're offered regular Monthly/Yearly pricing like any other subscriber. Unlike the Monthly/Yearly plans, the Starter Offer's price is fixed in Pi rather than pegged to a USD amount, so it doesn't fluctuate with the market rate.
Statistics & Game Analysis
Statistics tracks your results (wins, losses, streaks, and more) across every game and difficulty. Game Analysis runs the app's own built-in chess engine move-by-move over a finished game or an imported PGN, grading each move (best, good, inaccuracy, mistake, blunder) with an evaluation for both sides.
- Statistics: Premium only — subscribe to unlock
- Game Analysis: Premium only — subscribe to unlock, whether analyzing a just-finished game or a PGN you import
Note: Both are included with an active Chess Pi Premium subscription (monthly or yearly) — see the Chess Pi Premium section above.
Themes
Choose a look for your board. Brown is free by default, while Green, Pink, and Blue are premium themes you can unlock instantly with Pi:
- Brown: Classic tan wooden board — Free
- Green: Fresh green board — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
- Pink: Soft rose board — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
- Blue: Puffy cushioned blue board — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
Price: $0.70 per theme, charged in Pi at the current market rate (currently ≈ … π).
Note: Once you unlock a premium theme, it stays unlocked for good. To change or unlock a theme, go back to the theme selection page. You can also unlock all remaining premium themes at once for 15% off the combined price instead of paying for each one separately.
Piece Sets
Choose how your chess pieces look, independently of your board color. Neo is free by default, while Wood, Glass, and Marble are premium sets you can unlock instantly with Pi:
- Neo: Clean, modern piece design — Free
- Wood: Classic carved wooden pieces — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
- Glass: Sleek translucent glass pieces — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
- Marble: Polished stone marble pieces — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
Price: $0.70 per piece set, charged in Pi at the current market rate (currently ≈ … π).
Note: Any piece set works with any board theme — mix and match freely. Once unlocked, a piece set stays unlocked for good. You can also unlock all remaining premium piece sets at once for 15% off the combined price instead of paying for each one separately.
Bot Personalities
Choose the style of opponent you want to play against. Every personality plays at the same strength as your chosen difficulty level — only its playing style changes. Aggressive Attacker is free by default, while Solid Defender, Endgame Technician, and Gambit Trickster are premium and can be unlocked instantly with Pi:
- Aggressive Attacker: Sacrifices material for open lines and relentless attacks on your king — Free
- Solid Defender: Locks up the position, keeps its king safe, and waits for you to overextend — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
- Endgame Technician: Trades pieces the moment it gets ahead and converts small edges with precise endgame technique — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
- Gambit Trickster: Opens with sharp gambits and early traps to throw your preparation off balance — Premium (unlock instantly with Pi)
Price: $0.70 per personality, charged in Pi at the current market rate (currently ≈ … π).
Note: Pick a bot personality on the new "Choose Your Opponent" page, right before you choose your difficulty level. Once unlocked, a bot personality stays unlocked for good. You can also unlock all remaining premium bot personalities at once for 15% off the combined price instead of paying for each one separately.
Time Controls & Difficulty Unlocks
Each difficulty level has different time controls according to standard chess rules. Only Easy is unlocked from the start — unlock the rest instantly with Pi:
- Easy: No time limit - Perfect for learning - Unlocked by default
- Medium: 15 minutes - Standard rapid chess - Unlock instantly with Pi
- Hard: 10 minutes - Faster-paced game - Unlock instantly with Pi
- Expert: 5 minutes - Blitz chess for experts - Unlock instantly with Pi
Price: $0.70 per level, charged in Pi at the current market rate (currently ≈ … π). You can also unlock all remaining levels at once for 15% off the combined price instead of paying for each one separately.
The timer starts when the game begins. Time pressure adds excitement to the game!
PGN Import/Export
PGN (Portable Game Notation) is a standard format for recording chess games. You can use it to save, share, or analyze your games.
- Export PGN: Saves the current game in PGN format for sharing or analysis.
- Import PGN: Loads a game from PGN format to replay or continue.
Use these features to review past games or study famous matches.
Note: Analyzing an imported PGN uses the Game Analysis feature, which requires an active Chess Pi Premium subscription.
Surrender Feature
To surrender as white, double-click on your king when it's your turn. A confirmation dialog will appear. If you confirm, the game ends with black winning, and you'll see options for a new game or settings.
Note: If you want to pause the game for a break or to drink a cup of coffee, open the help icon and leave it active.