XBoard

XBoard is a fantastic software that brings together some of the most popular chess styles, like international, Chinese, Japanese, and Makruk chess. With XBoard, you can also explore various chess variants and even adjust how many ranks or files are on the board. Pretty cool, right?

Easy-to-Use Interface

The heart of XBoard is its user-friendly graphical interface. You’ll find the chess game board right in front of you. Each player gets a timer, making it feel like a real game! You can move your pieces just by using your mouse—simple as that!

Play Against the Computer or Others

By default, you're playing against the computer. But if you want to mix things up, switching between different chess engines is super easy. You can even load your own engine! If you're looking to analyze your game, there's an analysis mode available too—but remember, not all engines support this feature.

Save Your Games for Later

XBoard also lets you save your games. That means if you need to take a break or just want to continue later, you totally can! Plus, it has this neat CMail function for correspondence chess by email.

Connect Online with Other Players

If you're feeling competitive, XBoard's software archive includes scripts that help you connect to three big Internet Chess Engines: Free Internet Chess Server (FICS), Internet Chess Club (ICC), and HGM for variant chess support. Launch those scripts using the Terminal app and boom—you’re connected!

Play Against Real People!

The best part? With XBoard’s user-friendly setup, you can easily play different chess variants against the computer or connect to online servers where real players are waiting for a match.

Save Games in PGN Format

And don’t forget about saving your games in PGN format! It’s super handy when you want to keep track of your matches.

If you're ready to jump into some exciting chess action with XBoard, check it out now!