Really Bad Chess (app)

About Really Bad Chess (app)

Really Bad Chess keeps every rule of chess except the starting position. The pieces on each side are drawn at random, so a game might open with a row of knights or a pair of extra queens. Zach Gage released it in 2016 with the idea of opening chess up to people who never enjoyed studying openings: with the usual patterns gone, even beginners spend their first games learning how to deliver checkmate.

The Daily board is the part that makes it a daily game. Each day everyone gets the same random layout against the computer, set at a fixed rank, and you get one attempt before it locks. Players are compared on the leaderboard by how few moves they need to win. A Weekly Challenge offers a harder fixed board that you can retry as often as you like, and the Ranked mode adjusts the balance of pieces as you improve.

The app is free with ads, and one purchase unlocks local Versus play against a friend and removes the ads. Puzzmo also has a Really Bad Chess daily in the browser. The app suits chess players looking for something fresh and lapsed players who never liked memorising openings.

How to play Really Bad Chess (app)

1. Open Really Bad Chess and choose the Daily challenge.
2. Look over the day's random setup for both sides before your first move.
3. Play against the computer with the normal rules of chess.
4. Checkmate the computer's king in as few moves as you can; you get one try at the Daily board.
5. Compare your result on the leaderboard, then try the Weekly Challenge or Ranked games.

Tips

• Count the heavy pieces on both sides first: a side with several queens wants an open, fast game.
• Watch pawns that start on the back row, which can block your own pieces.
• On the Daily board, every move counts toward your score, so look for a direct mating attack rather than slow material gains.

Questions