What Is Pokémon Chess (pokemonchess.com)?

Updated

Pokémon Chess is a free browser-based chess game that swaps standard chess pieces for Pokémon-themed graphics and adds a team-building layer on top of normal chess rules. You can play it at pokemonchess.com without installing anything — it runs in the browser as a canvas-enabled chess game. It's a fan project, with idea and graphics by Little Z and programming by El Xando.

What you actually do on the site

The core loop is straightforward: build or randomize a team, host or join a room, and play chess against another person. The site shows a "Host Game" panel and an "Available Rooms" list, so you can either create your own match or spectate/join one that already exists.

Hosting a game

When you host, you set a few options before the room goes live:

  • Room Name and Room Password — for private or labeled matches
  • Disable Critical Hits & Misses — removes the RNG element from combat
  • Random Teams — forces both players onto random teams instead of chosen ones
  • Timer — choose from 10 Mins, Blitz 3|2, or None

Once hosted, the room appears in the Available Rooms list with columns for Room Name, Win Rate, No RNG, Random Teams, and Timer.

The Team Builder

The Team Builder lets you configure and save teams before joining a game. Controls include Team Name, Randomise All, Randomise Missing, Save Team, Clear Team, and Delete. This is the feature that distinguishes Pokémon Chess from a plain chess client — you're not just moving pieces, you're deciding which themed pieces you bring.

In-game controls

During a match you get a standard board with algebraic notation around the edges (A–H, 1–8), plus a few extras:

  • Switch Sides
  • Ready
  • Skip Additional Move — there's a button below the board if you don't want to take an additional move
  • Forfeit — added specifically so players can concede instead of rage-quitting

Recent updates worth knowing

The site's own update notice (26th October) lists several changes that affect how it plays:

Update What it changes
Team Builder Configure and save teams before joining
Room options Disable RNG, enforce random teams, 3 timer choices
Forfeit button Concede cleanly instead of quitting
Timer fixes Now tracked server-side, not per client
Single-room fix Should no longer create multiple rooms at once
Cheater detection Flags suspicious wins
Preloaded gifs/audio Move effects load on first use, not late
Algebraic notation Coordinates shown around the board

The timer change matters most for fairness: because time is now kept on the server rather than each client, players can't gain an advantage by manipulating their local clock.

Who it's for

Pokémon Chess suits you if you want casual online chess with a themed twist and don't mind that it's a fan-made project rather than an official Pokémon or chess product. If you want strict, RNG-free competitive chess, you can host with Disable Critical Hits & Misses turned on. If you'd rather not think about team composition, enable Random Teams and just play.

The site also links out to a Discord for discussing and reporting bugs, and mentions a related project called Smash Monopoly. There's an option to buy the dev a coffee if you enjoy it — the page doesn't state any pricing or account requirements, so treat it as a browser game you can open and try rather than a paid service.