ChessFlex

New in 1.6: the Study Coach shows three ways from here — and lets you play each one forward.

ChessFlex is chess stripped back to the game. No accounts, no servers, no chat — just the board, the friends you choose, and a real rating that's yours.

PLAY YOUR CIRCLE Connect by trading a QR code, in person or over iMessage. No global matchmaking, no strangers, no friend requests. The people across the board are people you picked.

HUMANS — OR HUMAN-LIKE BOTS Five built-in bots from 400 to 2000 ELO play like real people at that level: they make human mistakes, not random ones. A real game and a real rating from your very first move.

REAL FIDE ELO Every game updates your rating with the standard FIDE formula. It's your history, not your ceiling — anyone can challenge anyone, and a 1200 taking on a 2000 is courage, not a mistake.

PLAY AT YOUR PACE Async by default — make a move, put your phone away, pick it up hours later. Or set a clock: Blitz, Rapid, Classical, or multi-day correspondence.

THE BOARD IS THE CONVERSATION There's no chat box, ever. Players speak only in standard chess annotation symbols — !! for a brilliant move, ? for a mistake. Nothing personal can be exchanged, so there's nothing to moderate, and it's cross-language by default.

PRIVATE BY DESIGN No email, no sign-up, no tracking, no ads. Your identity is your device; your games live on your device and travel only between you and your opponent.

CHESSFLEX STUDY (optional) A one-time unlock that turns every game into a lesson: move-by-move analysis, win-chance insight in plain language, guided openings, and practice positions. Playing, ratings, and opening names stay free, always.

From Labham LLC. A sibling to LexFlex.