Knightlight: Learn Chess

Knightlight is the friendly way to learn chess on your Mac. Whether you've never touched a chess piece or you know the moves but keep losing your queen, Knightlight helps you understand the game, one move at a time. A COACH AT YOUR SIDE • Warnings before you move: the coach points out pieces in danger, threats to watch for, and how to get out of check. • Hints when you're stuck, so you're never left staring at the board. • Reviews of every move you make, from "Best move!" to "Blunder", with a short explanation and the better move when there was one. • Take back any move and try again. Nobody's judging. SIX OPPONENTS, FROM BEGINNER TO STRONG Play the computer at the level that fits you. Pawn has just learned the moves and makes lots of mistakes. Knight spots simple captures. Bishop and Rook play carefully. Queen and King play their best. Move up as you improve, and watch your record of wins, losses, and draws grow on the home screen. TEN SHORT LESSONS Learn on a real board, step by step: the board, how each piece moves, capturing, check, checkmate, castling, en passant, promotion, stalemate, and your first opening. Each piece lesson is a little star-collecting game. 100 PUZZLES Mate in one, win a piece, mate in two. Quick, focused puzzles that train your eye for tactics. MOVES THAT MAKE SENSE Chess notation like "Kxd2" can be confusing at first. Knightlight shows each move as the piece and the square it went to, and says it in words when you point at it: "King takes bishop on d2." When you're ready, switch to standard notation in Settings. MADE FOR THE MAC • 18 board themes, from classic wood to neon, all tuned so the pieces stay easy to see. • Keyboard shortcuts for undo, redo, flipping the board, and a new game. • Your game is saved after every move, so you can always pick up where you left off. • Light and dark appearance, and adjustable animation speed. PRIVATE AND OFFLINE No account, no ads, no tracking, and no internet needed. The computer opponents and the coach run entirely on your Mac, and your games and progress never leave it. Requires macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. Questions or ideas? Write to [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.