Support

Checkmate v1.1.0 · Android and iOS

Frequently asked

How do I castle?

Tap the king, then tap the square two files away — g1 or c1 for White, g8 or c8 for Black. The rook moves with it. If castling is not offered, one of the conditions has failed: a piece is in the way, the king or that rook has already moved, the king is in check, or a square it would cross is attacked.

The engine took my pawn "sideways"

That is en passant. If your pawn advances two squares and lands next to an enemy pawn, that pawn may capture it on the very next move as though you had only advanced one square. It is a real rule, and the chance disappears if the opponent plays anything else first.

Why did my pawn not automatically become a queen?

Because a queen is not always the best choice — promoting to a knight can fork the king, and promoting to a rook can avoid an accidental stalemate. Checkmate always asks. Tap the piece you want.

The game was declared a draw and I was winning

Chess has four ways to draw regardless of material: stalemate (the player to move has no legal move and is not in check), threefold repetition, fifty moves with no capture and no pawn move, and insufficient material. The result screen names which one applied.

The engine is thinking for a long time

Higher levels search deeper and are given up to four seconds. If it feels slow on your device, drop to a lower level — the strength difference is real and each level is quicker than the one above.

Is my progress backed up?

Your settings and record live on the device. If you have Android or iOS backups turned on, they may be included in that backup. Online guest profiles are device-specific and are not used to sync your local record.

Does it work without internet?

Playing the engine and two-player games work with the network completely off — no profile, nothing sent anywhere. Only the Online mode needs a connection and creates an Online profile after you continue.

Do I have to sign in?

No. Choose Sign in with Apple, Continue with Google, or Play as Guest. Guest mode needs no email address, password, or social account.

How do I play someone online?

Open Online, choose Apple, Google, or Guest, and tap Create game. You get a five-character code — send it to your friend, who taps Join game and types it in. Moves appear on both devices as they are played.

My friend's move is not showing up

Both devices need a connection. The bar at the top says "Opponent disconnected" when they have dropped off; it clears by itself when they come back, and the game picks up where it left off.

Reporting a bug

The most useful bug report for a chess app names the position. If you can, tell us the moves that led to it, or the move you expected to be legal and was not. Send it to support@checkmate-app.com.