Your First Game
ChessStake offers three ways to play: practice against AI, compete in the multiplayer lobby, or challenge friends directly. This guide walks you through each mode step by step.
Choose Your Game Mode
Each mode is designed for different play styles. Start with AI to practice, then move to multiplayer for real stakes.
vs Stockfish AI
Practice against the world's strongest chess engine. 18 difficulty levels from beginner to grandmaster. No wallet required.
Multiplayer Lobby
Join the lobby to find opponents. Create a match or accept a challenge. Winner takes 80% of the pool instantly.
Challenge a Friend
Create a private challenge, share the link with a friend, and schedule your match. Chat to coordinate timing.
Mode 1: Playing vs Stockfish AI
Perfect for practice and improving your skills. The Stockfish engine adapts to your level with 18 difficulty settings.
Choose Your Difficulty
From absolute beginner to grandmaster level. Each level corresponds to an ELO rating range.
Start at level 5-7 if you know the basics. If you're winning easily, increase difficulty. If losing quickly, decrease. Your Stockfish ELO will adjust separately from your multiplayer rating.
Step-by-Step Guide
Navigate to Play
Go to the home page and click "Play vs AI" or navigate directly to the play page. Select the "vs Stockfish" tab.
Configure Your Game
Select difficulty level (1-18), time control, and your preferred color. The default is Level 10 with 5+3 blitz.
Start Playing
Click "Start Game" and the board loads instantly. Make your moves by clicking or dragging pieces. The AI responds in milliseconds.
Review & Improve
After the game, review your moves. Your Stockfish ELO updates based on performance. Track your progress in your profile.
Mode 2: Multiplayer Lobby
Compete against real players for USDC stakes. Join the lobby to find opponents or create your own match.
Stake Levels
Choose how much USDC to stake. Winner receives 80% of the total pool. The 20% protocol fee supports platform development.
Time Controls
Format: Base minutes + Increment seconds per move. Example: 5+3 means 5 minutes total with 3 seconds added after each move.
How It Works
Creating a Match
Connect Your Wallet
Click "Connect Wallet" and select MetaMask (or your preferred wallet). Make sure you're on Polygon network with USDC balance.
Configure Your Match
Select stake amount, time control, preferred color, and ELO range for opponents. Click "Create Game".
Approve USDC Transaction
MetaMask will prompt you to approve the USDC transfer to the escrow smart contract. Confirm the transaction.
You'll need a small amount of MATIC (about $0.01) for transaction fees on Polygon. This is separate from your USDC stake.
Wait for Opponent
Your match appears in the lobby. Wait for an opponent to accept. You can cancel anytime before someone joins.
Play & Collect Winnings
Once matched, the game starts immediately. Win by checkmate, timeout, or resignation. The winner receives 80% of the pool automatically.
Verify Email First
Email verification is required for multiplayer to prevent cheating and multi-accounting.
ELO Matching
You can only join games within your ELO range. This ensures fair and competitive matches.
Mode 3: Challenge a Friend
Create private matches with specific opponents. Perfect for playing with friends or arranging matches in advance.
Challenge Lifecycle
A challenge goes through several states before the game begins:
Open
Challenge is created and waiting for someone to accept. Visible in the challenges list.
Accepted
An opponent has accepted. Now use the chat to agree on a date and time to play.
Scheduled
Both players agreed on a date/time. Wait until the scheduled time to begin.
Ready
It's time to play! Both players must click "I'm Ready" within 30 seconds to start.
Creating a Challenge
Create New Challenge
Go to the Lobby and click "Challenges" tab, then "Create Challenge". Configure stake, time control, and your preferred color.
Share or Wait
Your challenge appears in the public list. Share the link with a friend, or wait for someone to accept from the lobby.
Coordinate via Chat
Once accepted, use the built-in chat to agree on when to play. Propose a date/time using the calendar picker.
Confirm & Get Ready
At the scheduled time, both players click "I'm Ready" within 30 seconds. The game creates automatically and you start playing.
You can cancel an open challenge anytime. Once accepted, both players need to coordinate via chat for any changes.
Next Steps
Now that you know how to play, explore these resources: