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Every moveleaves atrail of light.

Neon Gambit is chess rebuilt for the grid. Take on a three-level AI or a friend on the same screen, on a board that glows, hums and keeps every rule in check.

Play nowWatch a legend
AI levels
3
Glow themes
4
Sign-ups needed
0
Légal's MateStarting position
  • Ruy Lopez: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5
  • Sicilian Defence: 1. e4 c5
  • Queen's Gambit: 1. d4 d5 2. c4
  • French Defence: 1. e4 e6
  • King's Indian: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6
  • Caro-Kann: 1. e4 c6
  • English Opening: 1. c4
  • King's Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. f4
  • Nimzo-Indian: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4
  • Italian Game: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
Built for the grid

Everything a real game needs. Nothing it does not.

A full chess engine, a referee that never blinks and controls that stay out of your way. All of it runs right in your browser.

Three minds in the machine

Spark plays like a curious beginner. Pulse looks a few moves ahead. Overdrive searches deep and punishes every loose piece.

  • SparkCasual
  • PulseSharp
  • OverdriveRuthless

Pass and play

Two players, one screen. Flip the board and hand it across the table.

Every rule, enforced

The referee never blinks. Illegal moves simply do not exist here, and draws are called the moment they happen.

  • Castling
  • En passant
  • Promotion
  • Check and mate
  • Stalemate
  • Threefold repetition
  • Fifty-move rule
  • Insufficient material

Race the clock

Play untimed, or set a 3+2 blitz, a 5-minute sprint or a 10+5 rapid game with increments.

Notation, built in

Every move is logged in standard notation. Copy the PGN and study the game anywhere.

Take it back, turn it around

Undo a slip, flip the board or resign and run it back. Every move, capture and check has its own synth sound, and you can mute it any time.

Pick your glow

Four neon themes that follow you from this page all the way onto the board.

Choose
Starting positionReady

Ready

Scroll to play through one of the most famous attacks ever played. Watch Morphy throw everything at the king.

The Opera Game, 1858

White: Paul Morphy
Meet the pieces

Six pieces. Infinite ideas.

Every piece moves in its own way. Here is the whole rulebook in six cards, each glowing the way it does on the board.

01 / 06Priceless

King

Steps one square in any direction. Lose it and the game is over. Once per game it can castle with a rook.

02 / 069 points

Queen

Slides any distance along ranks, files and diagonals. The most powerful piece on the board.

03 / 065 points

Rook

Slides any distance along ranks and files, and teams up with the king to castle.

04 / 063 points

Bishop

Slides diagonally and stays on the color it started on for the whole game.

05 / 063 points

Knight

Jumps in an L shape. The only piece that can leap over everything in its way.

06 / 061 point

Pawn

Steps forward and captures diagonally. Its first step can be two squares, and the far side promotes it.

By the numbers

Small board. Endless game.

SquaresEight ranks, eight files. The whole universe of the game.
64
PiecesSixteen a side when the first move is made.
32
First movesSixteen pawn moves and four knight jumps open every game.
20
Possible gamesClaude Shannon's estimate. More games than atoms in the observable universe.
10120
Pick your glow

Four palettes. One you.

Switch the whole site in a click. Your pick is saved on this device and lights up the board the next time you play.

Try it on the board
SynthwaveElectric cyan against hot pink. The classic arcade glow.
ToxicAcid lime squaring off with deep violet.
SolarMolten amber meets a rose red flare.
GhostCold white tubes and a red alarm.
The board is set

Your move.Make it glow.

Pick a level, choose your color and start playing in seconds. No downloads, no account, no waiting room.

Play the computerPass and play
Made with Modulify