How to Download and Use Chess.js
What is Chess.js and What Can it Do?
Chess.js is a TypeScript chess library used for chess move generation/validation, piece placement/movement, and check/checkmate/stalemate detection - basically everything but the AI. Chess.js has been extensively tested in node.js and most modern browsers.
download chess.js
With Chess.js, you can create a working chess game or AI by following some simple steps. You can also customize your game or AI with a powerful API that allows you to access and manipulate the board state, the move history, the PGN notation, and more. Chess.js also supports different parsers for different forms of chess move notation, such as Standard Algebraic Notation (SAN) or Long Algebraic Notation (LAN).
How to Install Chess.js
There are two ways to install Chess.js: from NPM or from CDN.
From NPM
If you are using node.js or a bundler like webpack or rollup, you can install Chess.js from NPM by running the following command:
How to download chess.js library for TypeScript
Download chess.js and use it with chessboard.js
Chess.js: A JavaScript chess engine for web development
Download and install chess.js on node.js
Chess.js vs Stockfish.js: Which one is better for chess AI?
Learn chess programming with chess.js tutorial
Download chess.js source code from GitHub
Chess.js examples and demos online
How to use chess.js with React and Angular
Chess.js performance and memory optimization tips
How to create a chess web app with chess.js and Firebase
Chess.js documentation and API reference
How to customize chess.js for different chess variants
Chess.js license and terms of use
How to contribute to chess.js project on GitHub
Chess.js alternatives and competitors
How to debug and test chess.js code
Chess.js features and benefits for chess enthusiasts
How to use chess.js with WebAssembly and Emscripten
Chess.js support and community forums
How to update chess.js to the latest version
Chess.js best practices and coding standards
How to use chess.js with TypeScript and webpack
Chess.js reviews and ratings from users
How to play chess online with chess.js and socket.io
Chess.js history and development timeline
How to use chess.js with Electron and Cordova
Chess.js challenges and limitations for chess analysis
How to use chess.js with Vue and Svelte
Chess.js FAQs and common issues
How to use chess.js with Express and MongoDB
Chess.js comparison with other JavaScript chess libraries
How to use chess.js with HTML5 canvas and SVG
Chess.js security and privacy considerations
How to use chess.js with Next.js and Nuxt.js
Chess.js advantages and disadvantages for chess learning
How to use chess.js with D3 and Chart.js
Chess.js roadmap and future plans
How to use chess.js with GraphQL and Apollo
Chess.js feedback and suggestions from developers
npm install chess.js
This will install the most recent version of Chess.js in your node_modules folder.
From CDN
If you want to use Chess.js in a browser without a bundler, you can use a CDN (Content Delivery Network) link to load Chess.js from a remote server. For example, you can use jsDelivr as follows:
<script src="
This will load the latest version of Chess.js into your page. You can also specify a specific version by replacing latest with the version number.
How to Import Chess.js
Once you have installed Chess.js, you need to import it into your project. There are two ways to do this: using ESM (ECMAScript Modules) or CommonJS.
Using ESM
If you are using ESM syntax, you can import Chess.js as follows:
import Chess from 'chess.js'
This will import the Chess constructor function from Chess.js into your module. You can then use it to create new instances of Chess objects.
If you want to use Chess.js in a browser with ESM syntax, you can import it as a module like this:
import Chess from 'chess.js'
Using CommonJS
If you are using CommonJS syntax, you can import Chess.js as follows:
const Chess = require('chess.js')
This will import the Chess constructor function from Chess.js into your module. You can then use it to create new instances of Chess objects.
If you want to use Chess.js in a browser with CommonJS syntax, you can use a bundler like webpack or rollup to bundle Chess.js with your code.
How to Use Chess.js
Now that you have imported Chess.js, you can start using it to create and manipulate chess games. Here are some of the basic steps you need to follow:
Create a new Chess object
To create a new Chess object, you can use the Chess constructor function with or without the new keyword. For example:
const chess = new Chess()
This will create a new Chess object with the default initial position. You can also pass a FEN (Forsyth-Edwards Notation) string as an argument to set up a custom position. For example:
const chess = new Chess('rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1')
This will create a new Chess object with the same initial position as the default one.
Generate and validate moves
To generate and validate moves, you can use the chess.moves() method. This method returns an array of all possible moves from the current position, either in SAN or in verbose format. For example:
chess.moves() // ['a3', 'a4', 'b3', 'b4', ...]
This will return an array of all possible moves in SAN format. If you want to get more information about each move, such as the from and to squares, the captured piece, the promotion piece, etc., you can pass an object with the verbose option set to true. For example:
chess.moves( verbose: true ) // [ from: 'a2', to: 'a3', flags: 'n', piece: 'p', san: 'a3' , ...]
This will return an array of objects with more details about each move.
To make a move, you can use the chess.move() method. This method takes a move as an argument, either in SAN or in an object format, and returns the move object if the move is legal, or null if the move is illegal. For example:
chess.move('e4') // from: 'e2', to: 'e4', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'e4'
This will make the move e4 and return the move object. If you try to make an illegal move, such as moving a pawn backwards, you will get null as a result.
Check game status
To check the game status, you can use several methods that return boolean values. For example:
chess.game_over() // false
This will return false if the game is not over, or true if the game is over (either by checkmate, stalemate, draw, threefold repetition, or insufficient material).
chess.in_check() // false
This will return false if the king of the side to move is not in check, or true if it is.
chess.in_checkmate() // false
This will return false if the king of the side to move is not in checkmate, or true if it is.
chess.in_stalemate() // false
This will return false if the king of the side to move is not in stalemate, or true if it is.
Manipulate the board
To manipulate the board, you can use several methods that allow you to access and modify the board state. For example:
chess.fen() // 'rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq e3 0 2'
This will return the FEN string of the current position.
chess.pgn() // '1.e4 e5'
This will return the PGN string of the current game.
chess.load('rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1') // true
This will load a position from a FEN string and return true if successful, or false if invalid.
chess.reset() // undefined
This will reset the board to the initial position.
chess.undo() // from: 'e2', to: 'e4', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'e4'
This will undo the last move and return it as an object.
How to Use Chess.js with Chessboard.js
If you want to create a graphical interface for your chess game or AI, you can use Chess.js with Chessboard.js, a library for visualizing the chess board. Chessboard.js allows you to create and manipulate a chess board element in your page, with features such as drag and drop, animations, and board orientation. You can use Chessboard.js to display the board state from Chess.js, and also to get user input for moves.
To use Chess.js with Chessboard.js, you need to follow these steps:
Install and import Chessboard.js
You can install Chessboard.js from NPM or CDN, just like Chess.js. For example, you can use jsDelivr as follows:
<script src="
This will load the latest version of Chessboard.js into your page. You also need to include the CSS file for Chessboard.js, either by linking it in your HTML or by importing it in your JavaScript. For example:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="
This will load the CSS file for Chessboard.js from jsDelivr.
Create a Chessboard object
To create a Chessboard object, you need to pass an element ID and an optional configuration object to the Chessboard constructor function. For example:
const board = new Chessboard('myBoard')
This will create a new Chessboard object with the default configuration and attach it to the element with the ID of myBoard. You can also pass a configuration object with options such as position, orientation, draggable, dropOffBoard, etc. For example:
const board = new Chessboard('myBoard', position: 'start', orientation: 'black', draggable: true, dropOffBoard: 'trash' )
This will create a new Chessboard object with a custom configuration and attach it to the element with the ID of myBoard. You can find more information about the configuration options in the documentation.
Sync the board state with Chess.js
To sync the board state with Chess.js, you need to use the chess.fen() method and the board.position() method. The chess.fen() method returns the FEN string of the current position from Chess.js, and the board.position() method sets or gets the position on the board from Chessboard.js. For example:
const chess = new Chess() const board = new Chessboard('myBoard') // set the board position from chess board.position(chess.fen()) // get the board position and load it into chess chess.load(board.position())
This will sync the board state between Chess.js and Chessboard.js. You can also use events to update the board state whenever a move is made. For example:
// listen for dragStart event from board board.on('dragStart', (source, piece, position, orientation) => ) // listen for drop event from board board.on('drop', (source, target) => // make the move on chess const move = chess.move( from: source, to: target, promotion: 'q' // always promote to queen for simplicity ) // if move is illegal, snapback if (move === null) return 'snapback' // update board position from chess board.position(chess.fen()) ) // listen for snapEnd event from board board.on('snapEnd', () => // update board position from chess board.position(chess.fen()) )
This will update the board state whenever a move is made by dragging and dropping a piece on the board. You can also use other events such as moveEnd, change, etc. to customize your board behavior.
Why Use Chess.js for Your Chess Development Needs?
Chess.js is a powerful and easy-to-use library that can help you create chess games and AI in JavaScript. Here are some of the benefits of using Chess.js for your chess development needs:
Chess.js is written in TypeScript, which means it has type annotations and documentation that can help you avoid errors and bugs.
Chess.js is extensively tested and reliable, with over 300 unit tests and 100% code coverage.
Chess.js is compatible with node.js and most modern browsers, which means you can use it for web, desktop, or mobile applications.
Chess.js has a simple and intuitive API that allows you to access and manipulate the board state, the move history, the PGN notation, and more.
Chess.js supports different parsers for different forms of chess move notation, such as SAN or LAN, which means you can use it with different sources of chess data.
Chess.js works well with other libraries, such as Chessboard.js, which can help you create a graphical interface for your chess game or AI.
Conclusion
In this article, I have shown you how to download and use Chess.js, a TypeScript chess library that can help you create chess games and AI in JavaScript. I have also shown you how to use Chess.js with Chessboard.js, a library for visualizing the chess board. Finally, I have discussed some of the benefits of using Chess.js for your chess development needs.
If you are interested in learning more about Chess.js, you can visit its GitHub repository, where you can find the source code, the documentation, the examples, and more. You can also check out some of the projects that use Chess.js, such as Chess AI, Chess Tutor, or Chess Vision.
I hope you have enjoyed this article and learned something new. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!
FAQs
What is TypeScript?
TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds optional static typing and other features to the language. TypeScript can help you write more robust and maintainable code by catching errors and bugs at compile time. TypeScript can be compiled to plain JavaScript that runs on any browser or platform.
What is FEN?
FEN stands for Forsyth-Edwards Notation, which is a standard way of representing a chess position using a single string of characters. FEN consists of six fields separated by spaces: the piece placement, the active color, the castling availability, the en passant target square, the halfmove clock, and the fullmove number. For example, the FEN string for the initial position is 'rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1'.
What is PGN?
PGN stands for Portable Game Notation, which is a standard way of recording a chess game using plain text. PGN consists of two parts: the tag pair section and the movetext section. The tag pair section contains information about the game, such as the players, the date, the result, etc. The movetext section contains the moves of the game in algebraic notation, along with optional comments and annotations. For example, the PGN string for a famous game between Kasparov and Topalov is '[Event "Hoogovens"] [Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"] [Date "1999.01.20"] [Round "4"] [White "Kasparov,G"] [Black "Topalov,V"] [Result "1-0"] 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 6.f3 b5 7.Nge2 Nbd7 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 Bb7 10.a3 e5 11.O-O-O Qe7 12.Kb1 a6 13.Nc1 O-O-O 14.Nb3 exd4 15.Rxd4 c5 16.Rd1 Nb6 17.g3 Kb8 18.Na5 Ba8 19.Bh3 d5 20.Qf4+ Ka7 21.Rhe1 d4 22.Qd3 Rhe8 23.Bg2 Qc7 24.f4 Ng4 25.Qf3 f5 26.h3 Nf6 27.Qf2 Nxe4 28.Nxe4 fxe4 29.g4 e3 30.Qg3 Bxg2 31.Qxg2 Rd6 32.f5 gxf5 33.gxf5 c4 34.Qg5 Re5 35.Rxd4 Rxd4 36.Qxe5 Qxe5 37.Nc6+ Kb7 38.Nxe5 Rd5 39.Rxe3 Nc8 40.f6 Nd6 41.f7 Nxf7 42.Nxf7 Rh5 43.Nd6+ Kc6 44.Ne4 Rh4 45.Nf2 Rf4 46.Ng4 h5 47.Ne5+ Kd5 48.Ng6 Rf1+ 49.Ka2 a5 50.Re5+ Kd4 51.Rxb5 a4 52.Rb4 Rf3 53.Rxa4 Rxh3 54.Ra8 Rg3 55.Rh8 Rxg6 56.Rxh5 Rg2 57.Kb3 Rg3+ 58.c3+ Kd3 59.Rh8 Rg1 60.Rd8+ Ke4 61.Kxc4 Rb1 62.b4 Ra1 63.Kb3 Ke5 64.a4 Ke6 65.a5 Ke7 66.Rd2 Ra2 67.Kxa2 Ke6 68.a6 Ke7 69.a7 Ke6 70.a8=Q Ke7 71.Qe4+ Kf6 72.Rf2+ Kg7 73.Qg4+ Kh8 74.Rh2#
What is Chessboard.js?
Chessboard.js is a JavaScript library for visualizing the chess board. It allows you to create and manipulate a chess board element in your page, with features such as drag and drop, animations, and board orientation. Chessboard.js works well with Chess.js, as it can display the board state from Chess.js, and also get user input for moves. You can find more information about Chessboard.js in its website.
What is Chess AI?
Chess AI is a project that uses Chess.js and Chessboard.js to create a simple chess AI that can play against human players. The AI uses a minimax algorithm with alpha-beta pruning and a basic evaluation function to search for the best move. You can try out Chess AI in this link.
This is the end of the article. I hope you have enjoyed reading it and learned something new. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading! 44f88ac181