What do we have?

• Free correspondence chess. Play other MFO fans online! (You can play regular or Fischer Random chess.)
• Chess-enabled Forum to discuss chess.
• Chess puzzles to solve.
• Diagram Wizard to make pretty pictures for articles and forum posts.
• Computer ChessPartner if you want a quick game of chess.
• Chess news.
• We also play team games like this one.
• Articles on how to play chess.

Welcome to MFO Chess - a web-based chess game for MFO users. We play "correspondence" style of chess made for games to be done at a leisurely pace - one move a day is average. You can, of course, use instant messenger to do a somewhat "live" game if you want. MFO is a community of gamers, so chess is usually not the only game we play.

How to Play

You have to have a free MFO Id and be logged in. Then you can either challenge a particular player or use Open Challenges.

We recommend that you start by using Open Challenges. Open challenge means that you are ready to play with anybody who agrees to your terms.

To get to the Open Challenges page, click Challenge button above without inputting anything first. Once there, look at the challenges and see if somebody proposes a game that you are willing to accept. If you found such game, click accept button, and start playing. If not, can add new challenge by clicking New Open Challenge button.  You then state preferred skill level and pace of the game, and wait for somebody to accept.

To challenge particular player, type in a username to challenge (or a userid, if you know it). Press Find button and it will fill in with the full name (or ask you to further specify). Press the Challenge button. Set your preferences, and the challenge is issued. Your opponent needs to go to the MFO Chess page, click on your challenge, and then accept or reject it. ("My Games" button shows a list of current games and challenges). Unaccepted challenges will be deleted in a few days.

It is a good idea to get agreement from a MFO user to play a game before challenging him, although it is not required. Use the chess forum, ICQ, email or whatever to communicate.

Once the game is underway, you make moves by touching a piece and then touching the target space. The program will not allow illegal moves. Then press Submit button to finalize your move.

You can use "Refresh Page" to reload your game and see if your opponent has moved. (Feel free to use instant messaging or email to let your opponent know it is his/her turn to move). Or, simply return to your "My Games" page at any time.

Observe Games in Progress

Feel free to observe games in progress with our interactive viewer. Just don't heckle people too hard in the forums for their lack of l33t skillz - remember we all do this for fun.

Have questions?

Maybe MFO Chess FAQ can answer them.