My Grand Master

A patient grandmaster on your child's shoulder, teaching chess one move at a time. No ads, no strangers and no chat, ever.

My Grand Master talks your child through every game. It explains what each move does, praises a good idea, and when something goes wrong it rewinds gently and shows the stronger move, so a mistake becomes a lesson rather than a lost game. Every blunder from their own games goes into a personal drill, and they solve it again until the right idea comes from memory.

SAFE BY DESIGN No ads. No strangers. No public games. No open chat. No tracking. A first name is all it asks for, and a grown-up controls the player profiles on the device. Practice reminders can only be switched on from a grown-up profile.

WHAT IS INSIDE Lessons for absolute beginners: how each piece moves, check, checkmate and castling, taught on a live board. Coach Mode: a real chess engine to play against, with the coach explaining as you go. Story Mode: a journey of drawn opponents, from Pipsqueak the chick to Magnus the Mighty, with ranks and badges along the way. A daily puzzle and streak, and a tactics trainer pitched at your child's level. Pass and Play: two players, one device, and the board turns to face whoever is to move. Your Mistakes: your child's own errors, drilled until they are gone, then played out against the engine. An openings library, master games to guess along with, calculation training, endgame courses and strategy lessons, so the app keeps up as your child grows.

MADE FOR FAMILIES Several children can share one device, each with their own profile and progress. Progress lives on the device, and a grown-up can back it up to an email address. The coach can speak its lines aloud or stay silent, there is a night mode, and the board coordinates can be shown large and clear.

Every launch opens on the day's famous game, played through move by move, from Morphy's Opera Game to Anderssen's Evergreen.

Built by a parent for his own two children, aged six and twelve, and shaped by what they found hard. Questions or ideas are always welcome: edward@darikwa.com