Hollow Chess

Chess puzzles on small boards with squares cut out. Four rated ladders, a daily mate puzzle and a timed Daily Challenge. Puzzles work offline, with no account.

Hollow Chess is chess on small boards with squares cut out of them. No 8x8, no opening theory, no forty-move grind. Every board is one sharp problem that you can solve in about two minutes, on a shape you have never seen before.

WHY THE BOARDS LOOK BROKEN They are meant to. The boards are small and some squares are missing, and that is what turns a position into a puzzle. A knight with two escape squares instead of eight is a different piece. Memorized openings will not help you here. It is pure tactics: you have to look at the position in front of you.

FOUR RATED LADDERS • Mate: classic checkmate puzzles. Find the forced sequence. • Attack: take the gold piece or give mate before your moves run out. • Defend: guard the gold piece for a few moves. • Maneuver: untangle a jammed position and get the right piece to the right square.

Each ladder keeps its own rating. Every puzzle is matched to your rating, and your rating moves after each puzzle, so the puzzles get harder as you get better. Puzzles need no account and work offline. Finish five boards a day to keep your streak going.

HOLLOW: ONE MATE PUZZLE A DAY A new mate puzzle every day, the same for everyone. You get three tries. Share your result without spoilers.

THE DAILY CHALLENGE Four boards, one clock, one run a day. A miss resets the board and adds ten seconds. A hint or an easier board gets you moving again, but it costs time too. You race in a division that matches your level. The Daily Challenge needs an internet connection. To take a place on the leaderboard, you need a free account.

THE GAUNTLET Five duels a day against computer opponents that you choose. A harder opponent gives a bigger prize. Before you play, the card shows your chance and what a win or a loss is worth. Reach a tier and you never fall below it. Seasons end every month and leave a badge.

PLAY OTHER PEOPLE Defend Duel: both players secretly bid how many moves they can hold. The higher bid defends, the lower bid attacks, ten seconds a move. Play a stranger, or a friend with a shared code. Online play needs a free account: Sign in with Apple, Google, or email. If nobody is free after a few seconds, a computer opponent plays you. You can also play the computer at any time, with no account.

To report an offensive name or to block a player, tap the name on a leaderboard, or use the link after an online duel.

ALSO IN HERE Match history with full replays, post-game analysis, six color themes, eight board colors, two piece sets, and sound and vibration that you can switch off.

No ads and no in-app purchases. Analytics and crash reports stay off until you allow them, and you can turn them off again in Settings. If you play online, your name, rating and results are stored on our server and shown to other players. You can delete your account and your data in Settings at any time.