ChessGolf — A New Way to Play Chess... and Golf.
What happens when you add a golf-style time budget to the world's greatest board game? You get ChessGolf — a fresh chess experience where strategy meets time pressure in a way you've never played before.
Three Timers, One Game
ChessGolf introduces a unique triple-clock system that changes how you think about every move:
• Chess Clock — Each player gets their own countdown timer, just like standard chess. Choose anywhere from 5 to 60 minutes per side.
• Chess Time — A shared time budget that tracks how long both players spend in chess mode. When this budget runs out, the game shifts gears.
• Golf Time — When Chess Time expires, the game enters Golf Time: a shared countdown that keeps the action going under a completely different kind of pressure. When Golf Time runs out, the game pauses. You decide whether to continue with fresh clocks or end the session.
Mix and match these timers to create exactly the kind of game you want. Want a quick blitz with no extras? Just set a Chess Clock. Want the full ChessGolf experience? Turn on all three and feel the rhythm shift as the game moves from one phase to the next.
Full Chess, No Shortcuts
ChessGolf follows standard FIDE chess rules. Castling, en passant, pawn promotion — it's all here. Check, checkmate, and stalemate are detected automatically. If you know how to play chess, you already know how to play ChessGolf. The twist is in the clock, not the rules.
Built for Real Games
• Auto-save and resume — Close the app mid-game and pick up right where you left off. Your board state, clocks, and game phase are all preserved automatically.
• Clean, intuitive interface — No clutter, no distractions. Just the board, your pieces, and the clock.
• Board themes — Choose from multiple board color schemes to suit your style.
• Board labels — Toggle A1–H8 coordinate labels on or off.
• Sound effects — Hear distinct sounds for moves, captures, and checks, sourced from the Lichess open-source chess platform.
• Night mode — Easy on the eyes for late-night games.
Why ChessGolf?
Standard chess clocks reward one thing: speed. ChessGolf adds layers. The shared Chess Time budget forces both players to be mindful of the overall pace. The transition to Golf Time creates a mid-game shift that changes your priorities. And the ability to pause and continue means you can play a long, thoughtful game across multiple sessions — like a round of golf.
Whether you're a casual player looking for a new twist or a chess enthusiast who wants a different kind of challenge, ChessGolf offers something you won't find in any other chess app.
One game. Three clocks. A whole new strategy.