You’re not supposed to play chess on a Kindle, but I do it anyway

Your Kindle can do far more than simply learn e-books. Trendy Kindles include an internet browser, which may load fundamental web sites and net apps. Immediately I will present you the way I play chess on my Kindle, and why it rocks.

The way it works

The browser constructed into Kindles is not the full-fat browser you get with a smartphone. It is fairly fundamental and largely good for searching light-weight web sites. It does not render complicated CSS or JavaScript code, so it will not load any animations or fancy layouts. What it could possibly do is load easy net apps for video games like chess or checkers and phrase puzzles like Wordle.

I see this limitation as a power. In contrast to taking part in on my telephone or my pc, I do know I will not be distracted by notifications on my Kindle. I may play in mattress with out worrying concerning the dangerous blue mild of standard screens. You may launch this browser by clicking the three dots within the nook and tapping “Browser.”

That mentioned, not all chess apps will render appropriately in your Kindle mannequin.

These on-line chess variants work finest

I’ve examined 5 web sites that work fairly nicely. Enable me to share them with you.

Lichess

http://lichess.org

Lichess might be probably the most feature-rich and polished of all of the chess net apps I’ve discovered. It additionally renders completely on my Paperwhite.

Principally, it is a free and open-source chess server with none advertisements. You do not even have to register an account to play. Simply open the web site and begin a sport in opposition to a pc, a good friend, or enter a web-based foyer. In case you join an account, you’ll be able to earn a score and observe your wins and losses.

When beginning a sport, you may also select if you wish to play by commonplace guidelines or any of the 8 chess variants. You may faucet on a bit to pick it after which faucet a sq. to maneuver the chosen piece to that sq.. It is fairly intuitive

You may also take part in match arenas with 1000’s of gamers. Lichess additionally has interactive chess classes and coaching assets if you wish to sharpen your abilities.

Chess for Kindle

https://artemartemenko.github.io/chess-for-kindle/

As its identify suggests, this Chess for Kindle is optimized for Kindle devices. It does not have totally different playable modes or on-line gameplay. You may’t even play in opposition to a pc, but it surely’s excellent taking part in in opposition to an opponent sitting subsequent to you because it turns your Kindle right into a chess board. The orientation of the items is mirrored, so the individual sitting reverse you’ll be able to nonetheless see all of the items clearly. It additionally signifies whose flip it’s, and you may flip the board.

Go to the web site then choose “Chess” from the record and it will load a sport instantly. It renders in an ideal format and measurement on my Paperwhite.

eInk Chess

https://yourchaoschris.github.io/eInkChess/

Similar to Chess for Kindle, eInk Chess can be designed for e-readers, but it surely has extra options. You may play on-line or offline. In offline mode, you’ll be able to both play in opposition to the pc or play in opposition to an opponent in individual.

You will see buttons for offline and on-line video games. In case you click on “Offline,” you will see a dropdown menu with totally different issue settings to your opponent chess bot. Degree 1 is the simplest, and degree 5 is the toughest. You may also select “2 Participant” to play in opposition to an opponent in actual life.

The board is a bit of smaller than different apps, but it surely nonetheless suits my Paperwhite display screen.

To play on-line, you will have to register an account on Lichess and create a Lichess API token. I counsel you do this on a pc or in your telephone. Then you’ll be able to click on the “Join (Lichess)” button in your Kindle browser and kind the API token. As soon as it is linked, you can play in opposition to actual folks on-line and observe your progress.

Plain Chess

https://plainchess.timwoelfle.de/

If you wish to play on-line however do not wish to register for Lichess or cope with API tokens, strive Plain Chess. You simply have to sort this URL into the Kindle browser and hit Enter.

Choose if you wish to play white or black, give it a username, and faucet “Go.” The one draw back is that it is a small web site and never lots of people learn about it. So it would take some time earlier than you get an opponent.

There’s additionally an offline mode for enjoying in opposition to folks in individual. The board suits completely, and the controls are fairly intuitive. True to its identify, it is so simple as it will get. Plain Chess additionally autosaves the sport, so even in case you return to it after days or even weeks, you’ll be able to decide up the sport the place you left off.

In case you take pleasure in chess, and also you personal a Kindle, you are lacking out till you strive taking part in it on an e-reader. The black and white e-ink display lends itself completely to a digital chessboard. With Lichess, you’ll be able to even play with different folks on-line.