How to Code Your First Chess App (for beginners)

Introduction

Chess coding can seem daunting, but with modern tools like Cursor, React-Chessboard and Chess.js, you can have your own playable chess app up and running quickly. Whether you're a chess enthusiast wondering how to start programming, or a creator looking to build technology in chess, this beginner-friendly guide breaks down the essential steps to set up a coding environment, write your first script, and play against a random move generator computer. By the end, you'll be ready to add your own custom features and innovate in the chess tech space.
Check out this Youtube Tutorial for a visual guide to help you go along.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before Starting

Before diving into chess programming, you'll need to install a few essential tools on your computer. Don't worry - these are all free and widely used by developers.

Installing Cursor

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that makes writing code much easier, especially for beginners.
1\. Go to cursor.com/download
2\. Download the package for your operating system
3\. Install\, open the app\, and login
4\. You'll see a welcome screen \- you can skip the tutorial for now
Note: There is a premium version which lets you use the AI more frequently, but basic features are available for free.

Starting Cursor

In order to configure your first coding environment, you need to run the following command in your terminal. The terminal lets you communicate with your computer just by typing. Open up a new terminal in Cursor and paste the following, then click enter:

xcode-select --install

Installing Node.js and npm

Node.js is the engine that runs JavaScript code on your computer, and npm is the package manager that helps you install libraries, like a prebuilt chessboard.
1\. Visit nodejs.org
2\. Download the appropriate version for your operating system
3\. Run the installer with default settings
4\. Verify installation by opening your terminal/command prompt and typing:

node --version
npm --version

You should see version numbers appear for each (like v18.17.0 and 9.6.7)

Creating Your First React Chess Project

Now let's create your chess application.
Run these commands one by one in the terminal:

# Create a new React application
npx create-react-app chess-app

# Move into your new project folder
cd chess-app

# Install chess-specific libraries
npm install react-chessboard chess.js

What's happening here:
\- \`npx create\-react\-app\` creates a new React app with all the basic files you need
\- \`cdchess\-app\` navigates into your project folder
\- \`npm install\` adds the chess libraries to your project

Understanding Your Project Structure

After creation, your project folder will look like this:

my-chess-app/
node_modules/ (installed packages - don't edit)
public/ (static files)
src/ (your main code goes here)
App.js (main application file)
index.js (entry point)
package.json (project configuration)
README.md (project documentation)

Understanding the Chess Libraries

Before we start coding, let's understand what each library does:

React-Chessboard
This library provides the visual chessboard component - it handles:
\- Drawing the board and pieces
\- Drag and drop functionality
\- Board customization \(colors\, sizes\, etc\.\)
Check out the React Chessboard Storybook to see all the different ways you can customize the board.

Chess.js
This is the chess engine that handles game logic:
\- Legal move validation
\- Check/checkmate detection
\- Game state management
\- FEN and PGN support
Read more in the Chess.js Documentation.
.

Writing Your First Chess Application

Step 1: Create a Simple Chessboard

First, let's create a basic chessboard that displays the starting position. In Cursor, navigate to the \`src\` folder and open up the file named \`App.js\`. Replace it's entire contents with the below code:

import logo from './logo.svg';
import './App.css';
import { Chessboard } from 'react-chessboard';
import { Chess } from 'chess.js';
import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
function App() {
const [game, setGame] = useState(new Chess());
function onDrop(sourceSquare, targetSquare) {
try {
// Create a copy of the game to test the move
const gameCopy = new Chess(game.fen());

// Attempt to make the move
const move = gameCopy.move({
from: sourceSquare,
to: targetSquare,
promotion: 'q' // Always promote to queen for simplicity
});
// If the move is illegal, return false
if (move === null) {
return false;
}
// If the move is legal, update the game state
setGame(gameCopy);
return true;
} catch (error) {
// Handle any unexpected errors gracefully
console.error('Error making move:', error);
return false;
}
}
// Automatically make black's move after white moves
useEffect(() => {
// Only make a move if it's black's turn and the game is not over
if (game.turn() === 'b' && !game.isGameOver() && !game.isDraw()) {
const possibleMoves = game.moves();

// Exit if there are no moves available
if (possibleMoves.length === 0) {
return;
}
// Add a small delay for better UX
const timer = setTimeout(() => {
// Pick a random move
const randomIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * possibleMoves.length);
const randomMove = possibleMoves[randomIndex];

// Make the move
const gameCopy = new Chess(game.fen());
gameCopy.move(randomMove);
setGame(gameCopy);
}, 300);

return () => clearTimeout(timer);
}
}, [game]);
function resetGame() {
setGame(new Chess());
}
return (
<div className="App">
<header className="App-header">

<p>
Hello chess world. This is a chess app.
</p>
<div className="chessboard-container">
<Chessboard
boardWidth={600}
position={game.fen()}
onPieceDrop={onDrop}

/>
</div>
<button
onClick={resetGame}
style={{
marginTop: '20px',
padding: '10px 20px',
fontSize: '16px',
cursor: 'pointer',
backgroundColor: '#61dafb',
color: '#282c34',
border: 'none',
borderRadius: '5px',
fontWeight: 'bold'
}}
>
Reset Game
</button>
<a
className="App-link"
href="https://reactjs.org"
target="_blank"
rel="noopener noreferrer"
>
Learn React
</a>
</header>
</div>
);
}
export default App;

Running Your Chess Application

Now comes the exciting part - seeing your chess app in action!
In your terminal (still in the \`my-chess-app\` folder), run:

npm start

This will:
1\. Start a development server
2\. Open your browser automatically \(usually at localhost:3000)
3\. Display your chess application
You should now be able to:
\- Drag and drop pieces to make moves
\- Play against the random move computer
\- Reset the game when finished

Troubleshooting Tips:
\- If the page is blank\, check the browser console for errors \(F12 key\)
\- If npm start fails\, try \`npm install\` again to ensure all packages are installed
\- If nothing happened\, go to your browser and manually visit the URL localhost:3000

Step 2: Make it Look Pretty

You must adjust the css in order for the design to look as expected. Open up the App.css file and replace its contents with the following:

.App {
text-align: center;
}
.App-header {
background-color: #282c34;
min-height: 100vh;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
font-size: calc(10px + 2vmin);
color: white;
}
.App-link {
color: #61dafb;
}
.chessboard-container {
display: flex;
justify-content: center;

}
/* Ensure the chessboard component itself is centered */
.chessboard-container > div {
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
}

Make sure you SAVE each file after making any changes.

Next: Learn about AI, React-Chessboard, and Chess.js

Now that your app is working, you can try adjusting snippets of code, then re-saving, to see how it affects the app. Start simple. Css is easy to adjust. Ask Google or ChatGPT about a few css principles, make small changes, and learn as you go. If you make a change that breaks the code, undo it and re-save to return to the working point.

You should also play around with the AI in Cursor, because it is able to edit your code directly. Ask it to implement a new feature that you've thought of, and watch it do its magic. It's best to understand the many data points in React Chessboard Storybook and Chess.js Documentation that can be manipulated in order to create new things.

Happy chess hacking!

By Indie Chess
Indie.ChessWeb.site