Play Shatranj Online
Play Shatranj Against AI
Play Shatranj, the ancestor of modern chess, against multiple AI levels on an 8×8 board. The ferz steps one diagonal, the alfil leaps two, and pawns never take a double step. Hints match the level you picked, and you can undo and replay on this page.
How a Game Works
Shatranj is not modern chess. There is no castling, no double pawn step, and promotion is to a ferz only. White moves first on an 8×8 board.
The older Indian game Chaturanga sits behind it. Here you play the usual Shatranj rules: stalemate wins, and a bare king wins unless the opponent can bare your king on the next move. Hints follow the AI level you picked.
Start with the board and the first move
The board is 8×8. White moves first. Rooks, knights, and the king will feel familiar; the pieces you have to relearn are the ferz, the alfil, and the pawn.
Do not expect a two-square pawn lunge. There is no en passant and no extra space to steal on move one.
A short ferz, a leaping alfil
The ferz steps one square diagonally. The alfil leaps two squares diagonally and is not blocked by the square in between, but it stays on its own color complex.
Pawns step one square and capture one diagonally. On the last rank they become a ferz. The king has to walk to safety on its own.
What you can use against the AI
The sidebar has multiple AI levels. Sit as White and move first, or take Black. Hints use the same search as the level you picked.
Undo a mistake, replay the finished game, and copy the move list. The record stays in this browser.
8×8Square board
WhiteMoves first
FerzOne diagonal
AlfilLeaps two
Common questions
Which rules does this board use? Is Shatranj the same as chess?
No. This site plays the usual Shatranj rules, not modern chess. The board is a fixed 8×8, and White moves first. Rooks, knights, and the king will feel familiar. The pieces you have to relearn are the ferz, the alfil, and the pawn: the ferz steps one diagonal, and the alfil leaps two diagonally, even if something sits in between. There is no castling. Pawns never take a double step, and they promote only to a ferz. Checkmate wins. Stalemate also wins. A bare king usually wins as well.
How is this AI different from a typical web chess opponent?
It plays Shatranj, not later chess. The ferz and alfil are short, pawns have no double step, and hints think with those rules. The sidebar has multiple strengths. On any of them you can restart, undo, or ask for a hint. The search runs in your own browser; you do not wait for a server to send the move.
Why did I lose when the king was not checkmated?
Checkmate still wins. If the player to move has no legal move and is not in check, that is stalemate, and the side that created the position wins. Taking every piece except the king is a bare king, and that usually wins too, unless the other side can bare your king on the next move. Then the capture does not end the game yet, and play continues.
Does the first move have to push a centre pawn?
No. This board does not require a particular opening square. Pawns here step one square, with no double step and no en passant. If you send a centre pawn too far on move one, the ferz and alfil often cannot follow. It matters more to see whether the ferz is still next to the king, and where the alfil lands two leaps later, than to grab one fixed square.
How should I use hints, undo, and replay without just copying the answer?
Pick a move yourself first, and say whether it guards the king, takes the centre, or finds a landing square for the alfil. Then open the hint and compare. The hint follows your current AI level; it is not a stronger engine hiding behind the button. Undo returns you to the fork so you can try another idea. Replay is for finding the move where the ferz left the king, or the alfil jumped onto a square with no way back, not only for watching the last checkmate.
Can I play without an account or an app?
Yes. Open the page on a phone or computer and make a move. There is no account, email, or password. Adding the site to your home screen is optional, and a full game works without installing anything.
Can I choose White or Black?
Against the AI, yes. As White you move first. As Black the AI plays the opening move. Switching color mid-game starts a new game, and the pieces already played do not stay. In an online room you pick your color when you create it. Two players on one device do not choose colors: White moves first, and you take turns.
If I close the page, is this game still there?
Games against the AI, and games on one shared device, stay in this browser. Close the page and open it again, and you can usually continue. Clearing this site's data usually removes those games. If an online connection drops, opening the page again usually brings you back to the same room.
If I invite a friend online, can I undo and use hints the way I can here?
No. Once an online room accepts a move, that move is sent to the other player. There is no hint and no undo. Checkmate, stalemate, or a bare king ends the game. If the connection drops, opening the page again usually brings you back to the same room.
How is two players on one device different from playing the AI?
Two people share one device and take turns face to face. You do not need a network connection, and neither side gets a hint. Undo and replay are still there, so you can stop and talk through a move. The rules match the home page: White moves first, the ferz steps one diagonal, the alfil leaps two, and stalemate and a bare king are scored the same way.
