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Is there chess software that helps you train while you play against it? I know there is software to train openings and such, but I would like one to actually advise you interactively as you play against the computer, maybe giving you hints and tips for example.

EDIT:

The kind of interactivity that I'm looking for is not necessarily audio or text related and can be either PC or phone based, doesn't matter. To further explain my idea let me explain you my situation:

I know how to play chess, I know all the rules, the basic principles and I have some knowledge of the strategies and tactics that can be made in the game. The thing is that at a certain moment I honestly don't know what to play. There are so many options that I just get lost in the possibilities. It would be nice to have something to tell you that a move is just accomplishing nothing at a certain moment. Or maybe just to tell you that a certain move exposed a vulnerability that you just didn't see, and it actually recommends you a move.

I think this is just more practice than anything, but sometimes I play with people that commit mistakes (develop queen early, don't care about control of the center) and I still lose, because I don't know how to capitalize on mistakes. It would be nice to also have something train you on these kind of things: to see and punish mistakes and gain tempos.

I know it's too much to ask for, but who knows, maybe a software like this actually exists.

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  • Related: chess.stackexchange.com/q/522/167
    – ETD
    Commented Jan 5, 2014 at 15:15
  • An excellent question and topic! Could you please expand your question and add exactly what type of interactivity you would like to get? Audio feedback? Text feedback? On a computer or on a phone device?
    – user2001
    Commented Jan 15, 2014 at 16:40
  • @RauanSagit Yes, of course. I'll edit the question.
    – Jean Carlos Suárez Marranzini
    Commented Jan 19, 2014 at 0:53
  • @JeanCarlosSuárezMarranzini great! The closest you can get to getting a "behind the scenes" understanding of positions are (in my opinion) excellent books and training DVDs. Today, I cannot see any software that can deliver the same level of quality and understanding.
    – user2001
    Commented Jan 19, 2014 at 18:50

5 Answers 5

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This is sort of the holy grail of chess training sofware ... something that substitutes for a human Master/GM level coach instructing and critiquing you whenever you needed it.

Till date, I believe nothing comes close to the quality of instruction/critique of a good human coach, though software that tries to offer some kind of interactive feedback-based training include:

  • Ubisoft's ChessMaster.
    • Very rudimentary feedback + post-mortem move analysis. The cheapest of the three ... the move-by-move feedback is usually mostly suited for tactical errors. Good for people just starting out using computers to train with.
  • Chessbase's Fritz
    • Probably the best bang for your buck of the three, given the quality of feedback and lots of bells and whistles. A fairly annoying/helpful "coach" who will flag any error you make (though doesn't clearly explain why it was a mistake). Features such as explaining (or more or less summarizing) the benefits of each move in a given position, a hotness indicator for how critical or "on the edge of a cliff" a position becomes.
  • Chess.com's Chess Mentor
    • The most "human" like feedback but these are pre-programmed scenarios based on instructional positions you have to play through, rather than your own games.

Once again, these all fall short of explaining nuances in a way that you are guaranteed to understand (a human coach can figure out precisely what doesn't make sense to you and focus on that mental roadblock!) , though if you are not really intermediate-strength level yet, software such as the kind listed above might be of some help.

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I am into chess for ages and into online chess for decades. Since I like to get better in chess I always searched for software that helps me to improve.

I found a webpage, that does this (at least for me).

lichess offers

  • positional and tactical training ("Make the best move for white/black" things)
  • Opening training (choose x strong moves in a position)
  • Coordinates training (ok, this is mostly for beginners).

They added a opening database you can "walk" through to get games to analyse.

And you can of course PLAY chess there.

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Lucas Chess sounds like exactly what you want. It has a competition mode where you play against weaker engines. A strong engine follows your play, and when you make a move that doesn't evaluate well, it shows you an alternative, with possible continuation lines for both moves. You can pick the engine move or continue with your own. Comparing the lines will show you if you blundered something or missed a tactic. You get points for beating the weaker engines, and as you accumulate points, you'll have stronger engines available to play against.

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    Is that a dead link now?
    – Tsundoku
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 11:25
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You may try chess wizard in ipad. This app provides exactly the same kind of support. https://itunes.apple.com/app/chess-wizard/id916537412?mt=8

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There is also good chess educational apps for Android from Chess King (ChessOK, Convekta) https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=8196632901699712832

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