ChessIdea · Features
Connect your games with focused practice.
ChessIdea brings playing, reviewing, analysis and training into one Windows desktop application. Follow a game into practice, or use a dedicated workspace for a position, opening or collection you want to study.
Windows Desktop application
Download information only. Installer availability is being prepared.
01 · Play
Set up a game worth reviewing.
Choose a clock and an opponent strength, then play against locally configured Stockfish on the desktop board.
- Choose the challenge. Adjust engine strength and time controls; strength settings are approximate, rather than certified ratings.
- Keep the game moving. Use click or drag-and-drop moves, clocks, conditional premoves and move sounds.
- Return to the game. Navigate move history, handle resignation or draw offers, and continue a completed game into review.
Stockfish requires compatible local-engine setup. Find installation and engine setup information.
Make time for a complete game.
Choose the clock and challenge before you play.
- Set a time control.
- Choose an engine strength.
- Return to the completed game for review.
02 · Review Studio
Examine the decisions that shaped the game.
Keep the board, reviewed moves and engine feedback in one workspace. Select a moment and explore what could have happened next.
Choose the review depth
- Quick Review
- An approximate, lower-depth pass for an initial look at the game.
- Deep Review
- Deeper engine analysis when you want to investigate further; move classifications can change with that extra analysis.
- Accuracy and move classifications. Find mistakes, blunders and missed opportunities using ChessIdea’s own move-quality feedback.
- Engine Lines and Evaluation graph. Explore continuations for a selected position and trace changes through the game.
- Performance. Compare each side’s Accuracy and move-quality counts. This is not a FIDE performance-rating estimate.
- Opening Book. Consult compatible local Polyglot book data when configured. Book resources are supplied separately.
Look beyond the score.
Use the position and its continuations to understand an important decision.
- Locate a change in evaluation.
- Compare the move with engine suggestions.
- Choose a position for a closer look.
03 · Learn
Choose what to work on next.
A reviewed game can supply a concrete starting position for learning. Available actions depend on the game and its matches.
- Learn This Opening. Carry a matched opening position into Opening Training, with the source position preserved.
- Learn From Your Mistakes. Revisit your eligible saved mistakes and missed opportunities as correction attempts.
- Recommended tactical practice. Follow a relevant local puzzle match when available, or work on a correction from the game itself.
These are conditional actions, rather than a guaranteed recommendation after every game. Follow the review-to-practice transition.
04 · Train
Practice the position, opening or tactical idea.
Opening Training, Puzzles and correction exercises offer distinct ways to work on the next move.
Opening Training
Choose a catalog opening or variation, start from a selected position and practice the line with move feedback. Continue the position against Stockfish when you want to play beyond the line.
Puzzles
Solve interactive tactical positions with move feedback and replies. Use hints, reveal a solution, restart or move to the next puzzle.
Correction exercises
Try an eligible position from your reviewed game again, with hints and reveal/skip options when you need them.
Work through the tactic.
Tactical practice asks you to play the moves yourself.
- Study the position.
- Try a continuation and see feedback.
- Use a hint or revisit the solution.
05 · Analyze
Explore alternatives without losing the line.
Use the dedicated Analysis workspace to set up positions, examine local Stockfish suggestions and keep your study organized.
- Main lines and variations. Add alternative moves at the same position, explore branches within branches, and promote, reorder or remove variations.
- PGN import and export. Work with games and their variation structure, then navigate the moves in the board and notation.
- Annotated games. Preserve and display supported comments and move-quality annotations, including numeric annotation glyphs (NAGs).
- Editable study. Set up a position and add an engine continuation to the variation tree for further exploration.
Keep alternatives connected.
Explore a position without losing the structure of your study.
- Follow local Stockfish suggestions.
- Build main lines and branching variations.
- Keep supported PGN comments and annotations.
06 · Study / Database
Find a game. Open it for study.
Connect supported local .ctdb collections and move from a game list to the position you want to analyze.
- Multiple collections. Use Add Database and Manage Databases to register and choose local game databases.
- Find relevant games. Search players with autocomplete, apply filters, sort results and browse paginated lists.
- Preview before studying. Inspect a game, then open it in Analysis to explore its moves and variations.
Database capability is separate from included content. Compatible game collections must be supplied separately; no particular commercial collection or game count is promised.
07 · Profile / Progress
Keep a record of your own play.
Revisit games and statistics through your local player profile, with rating history across ChessIdea’s internal categories.
- Your game history. Browse saved games alongside profile statistics and rating history.
- Separate rating categories. Track Bullet, Blitz, Rapid, Classical and Puzzles within ChessIdea.
ChessIdea’s ratings are internal measures. They are separate from any FIDE information entered in a profile and are not official FIDE ratings.
Additional capabilities
More ways to use the desktop workspace.
Chess960
Play and analyze Chess960 with a compatible engine. Standard opening-learning actions do not apply to this variant.
Local tournaments
Run local Swiss or round-robin events with application opponents, rounds, results and standings.
See how the pieces fit together.
Follow one game from play through review to a focused practice action.