Boxwood Chess

A boxwood set in a walnut case, the crowns worn smooth where fingers lift them. Across the board sits an opponent that never tires, never forgets a move, and plays exactly as hard as you ask it to.

Play chess against the computer at five levels, from a beginner who slips to one that punishes every loose piece. Undo, hints and a daily opening.

Pick White or Black and a level from 1 to 5, then press Start. Tap a piece to see its legal moves (dots for empty squares, rings for captures) and tap a square to move there, or drag the piece and drop it. All the rules of chess apply: castling, en passant, and promotion, where you choose a queen, rook, bishop or knight. The game ends in checkmate, or in a draw by stalemate, threefold repetition, the fifty-move rule or when neither side has enough material left to mate. Undo takes back your last move and the computer's reply, Hint shows the move the computer would play in your place, and Resign asks once more before it ends the game. A win scores more at higher levels and more the fewer moves you need; each hint or undo takes a little off, and a draw is worth 30% of a win's base score. Every level keeps its own best score, and after a win, Next level starts the next game one level up. The daily position starts every player from the same main line of a well-known opening against level 3; the opening and the side you play are drawn fresh each day. A win opens hard mode: no Undo and no Hint, at the level you pick.