AV Chess Zero

A fully functional chess application built from scratch using JavaScript, with complete rule enforcement, real-time online multiplayer, timed matches, and a clean, interactive user interface.

Features

Core Chess Engine

All core game mechanics have been implemented manually, including:

• Legal move validation for all pieces
• Castling
• Pawn promotion
• Check and checkmate detection
• Restriction of illegal moves when the king is in check
• Move history tracking

Chess Clock

Every match is played on a real chess clock with selectable time controls:

• Bullet — 1 minute
• Blitz — 3 minutes
• Rapid — 10 minutes
• Classic — 30 minutes

The active player's clock counts down, switches on each move, highlights when time is low, and ends the game automatically on a flag (timeout).

Online Multiplayer (Socket.IO)

Real-time play against another person over a Socket.IO connection:

• Matchmaking — players are queued by time control and paired automatically
• Live move relay — moves are streamed to the opponent in real time
• Resign & disconnect handling — the game ends cleanly when a player resigns or leaves
• Live player count — shows how many players are currently connected
• A "Searching for opponents" overlay while waiting for a match, plus a game-over popup

A Local Game mode is also available to play both sides on a single device.

Project Structure

Chess/
├── index.html            # Main page and UI layout
├── styles/               # Stylesheet(s)
├── Javascript/
│   ├── index.js          # App entry point + socket client wiring
│   ├── Data/             # Board/piece state and setup
│   ├── Events/           # Game event handling and move logic
│   ├── Helper/           # Chess clock, overlays, and helpers (addCloak.js)
│   └── Render/           # Board and piece rendering
└── Server/
    ├── socket.js         # Socket.IO matchmaking & game server
    └── package.json

Getting Started

1. Start the server

cd Server
npm install
npm start

The socket server listens on port 3000.

2. Run the client

Serve the project root with a static server (e.g. VS Code Live Server) at http://127.0.0.1:5500 — the server's CORS config expects this origin. Then open index.html in the browser.

To play online, open the page in two browser tabs/devices, pick the same time control, and click Play Online in each.

Tech Stack

• Vanilla JavaScript (ES modules), HTML, CSS
• Socket.IO for real-time multiplayer (client + Node.js server)

Notes

The project focuses on accurately modeling chess logic while providing a smooth and intuitive user experience. It demonstrates strong problem-solving, state management, DOM manipulation, and real-time networking skills.

Future Enhancements

Missing chess rules: Add support for en passant, threefold repetition, 50‑move rule, insufficient material draws, and stricter castling‑through‑check enforcement.

Reconnection & persistence: Introduce a database layer (Postgres/Redis) so games survive server restarts and players can reconnect after drops.

User accounts & ratings: Implement persistent profiles with Elo/Glicko ratings and match history tracking.

AI opponent: Build a minimax + alpha‑beta engine using the existing move generators for offline/solo play.

Responsive board & animations: Improve UI with fluid aspect‑ratio sizing and smooth move animations across devices.