- Closed Playtest Feedback — Visual Pass 2 - 25 September 2026
Closed Playtest Feedback — Visual Pass 2The second update Following a private playtest that was not publicly available, CHESS.0 has received another presentation pass focused on removing visual noise and improving gameplay readability.Removed Move MapRemoved hanging-piece panel Removed piece preview Removed cyan UI boxes around Ui elementsReworked options panel Reworked prediction system Simplified last-move highlighting only last move displayedAll legal moves now use limeReworked Custom Position Improved overall board clarity and readabilityCurrent game visualsDevelopment Moving ForwardAs development continues and more feedback is gathered, CHESS.0 will continue to evolve toward a polished and playable demo. Some features that seemed useful during development have proven less valuable during actual gameplay. Based on feedback from real players, certain elements have been carefully remo…
- Closed Playtest Feedback — Visual Pass - 13 September 2026
Closed Playtest Feedback — Visual PassFollowing a private playtest that was not publicly available, CHESS.0 has received another visual polish pass focused on:Refined piece colorsClock, timer, and turn indicator reworkHistory panel reworkPosition analysis moved beside the board with flip supportContinued development and improvements.
- CHESS.0 — Bug Fix - 9 September 2026
CHESS.0 — Bug FixThis update fixes several issues affecting the History Carousel, Move Log, fullscreen behavior and game timers.History CarouselFixed an issue where players could accidentally continue playing from an older historical position. Continuing play now automatically returns to the latest position.Fixed Position 0 so it correctly represents the actual starting board, including custom starting positions.The History Carousel now appears before the first move is made.Move LogFixed an issue occurring after 50+ moves caused by leftover 50-move-limit. This could result in incorrect Move Log data.FullscreenFixed an issue where using Reset could unexpectedly switch the game back to windowed mode.Engine ClockThe game clock is now disabled during Engine games. Timers continue to work normally during player-versus-player games.Continued development and testing for CHESS.0.
- CHESS.0 — Native C++ Engine Update - 8 September 2026
CHESS.0 – Native C++ Engine Major UpdateCHESS.0 just received a major engine update, moving the custom CHESS.0 engine to a native C++ environment running on its own thread.Custom C++ EngineThe custom engine now calculates independently from the main game thread.CHESS.0 sends the current board position to the C++ engine and receives its evaluations and moves separately.The previous engine architecture was preserved and exported so it continues working seamlessly with CHESS.0's draw events, sounds, move execution, and game modes & systems.Major Performance ImprovementsPreviously, higher engine searches could cause CHESS.0 to stutter and slow down because the engine's calculations were competing with the same thread running the game.With the new C++ architecture, the custom engine performs its searches independently on its own thread while CHESS.0 continues running normally.Higher searches…
- CHESS.0 – Position Editor & Hanging Pieces Update - 31 August 2026
CHESS.0 – Position Editor & Hanging Pieces UpdateCHESS.0 just received another update, adding new tools for testing, and analyzing custom positions.Board EditorAdded a fully integrated Board Editor connected directly to the CHESS.0 engine.Freely place, remove, and modify pieces to create custom positions.Hanging Pieces PanelAdded a new Hanging Pieces panel for better visibility of vulnerable and overloaded pieces.Provides a clearer overview of the position to help with decision-making during analysis.Rebuilt Move Maprebuilt the Move Map for better visibility and readability.Replaced the previous energy-block style with a cleaner presentation.New Board DesignAdded a new Board Design that better matches the current CHESS.0 visual style.Replaced the previous board from earlier builds with a cleaner, more refined design that fits the newer version of the game.Testing EnvironmentAdded movabl…
- CHESS.0 – Major Game Modes Update & Overall Polish - 26 August 2026
CHESS.0 – Game Modes & PolishCHESS.0 just received one of its larger updates to date, introducing new playable game modes alongside board logic, UI presentation, audio feedback, and overall interface consistency.New Game ModesAdded new piece-specific game modes allowing games centered around Queens, Rooks, Bishops, Knights, or Pawns, each paired with a King.All new modes continue to use the core chess movement and game logic, while changing the available piece types on the board.Added dedicated UI controls to quickly switch between the different game modes. UI & PresentationContinued refining the overall visual language and presentation of the CHESS.0 interface.Audio & FeedbackImproved stalemate feedback so the alert is now accompanied by an audible sound instead of only activating the visual indicator.Added a new minor UI click sound, separating major UI clicks from smaller UI interact…
- CHESS.0 – Move Map Update - 23 August 2026
CHESS.0 – Move Map & Visual UI UpdateCHESS.0 just received an update focused on board understanding and history tracking.Move MapAdded a dedicated Move Map for a clearer visual reference of the current board position.Board History CarouselCleaned up the carousel visuals for a more consistent and readable interface.Position Evaluation ToolCleaned up the Evaluation tools visuals for a more consistent and readable interface.Continued DevelopmentDevelopment on CHESS.0 continues as I complete more core systems and refine the overall experience.Demo BuildA fully functional demo build is ready, but I’ve intentionally held off on releasing it through Next Fest while I continue completing systems and bringing CHESS.0 up to the standard I’m aiming for.More development and updates are on the way.
- CHESS.0 – UI & Interaction Polish Update - 17 August 2026
CHESS.0 – UI & Interaction UpdateCHESS.0 just received a focused polish update improving piece selection, prediction controls, and UI interaction.New FeaturesAdded improved title-screen piece hover highlights.Fixes & ImprovementsFixed mouse tooltips, hover highlights, and hover sounds from being active while the Reset screen or Menu is open.Fixed piece selection from working while the Reset screen or Menu is open.Fixed prediction marks and prediction highlights from workin while the Reset screen or Menu is open.Fixed gameplay mouse input from passing through the Reset screen or Menu to the chess board.CHESS.0 now has cleaner UI interaction and better control.
- CHESS.0 – New Piece Highlight Preview - 15 August 2026
CHESS.0 – Piece Highlight Preview UpdateCHESS.0 just received an update to the Piece Highlight Preview system, adding a more detailed visual reference for the currently selected or engine-controlled piece.Piece Highlight PreviewAdded a dedicated preview panel above the board for the currently selected piece.When no piece is selected, the panel displays a lime-green “UNSELECTED PIECE” indicator.The preview uses the same neon rendering style as the main board, including layered glow effects and breathing animations.White and Black pieces use their respective cyan and magenta visual treatments.The system displays the piece type, such as KNIGHT, ROOK, QUEEN, or PAWN.Added real-time board-coordinate tracking, displaying the piece's exact position such as a8, c5, or d4.The coordinate system uses the piece's actual board-array position rather than relying on the visual screen position.Added bo…
- CHESS.0 – Visual Improvements, UI Polish & Engine Rework - 13 August 2026
CHESS.0 – Visual Improvements & Engine UpdateCHESS.0 just received a major polish update focused on making the game cleaner, sharper, easier to read, and smarter to play.Visual ImprovementsAdded a new background to the title screen.Increased the size of the chess pieces on the title screen for better visibility.Enlarged the CHESS.0 logo.Enlarged and cleaned up the main UI panels:Move LogCaptured PiecesPosition EvaluationHistory PanelsTimersImproved overall spacing and layout throughout the interface.Enhanced the neon styling and visual presentation across the game.Engine ReworkReworked the chess engine Improved positional evaluation using piece-square positioning.Added smarter move ordering to prioritize stronger moves.Improved the engine's ability to evaluate captures, promotions, castling, and tactical positions.Updated move log analysis for more accurate game-state tracking and engin…
- CHESS.0 – Board States, Refined Predictions & New Position Evaluation Tool - 11 August 2026
CHESS.0 – Board States, Refined Predictions & Position Evaluation ToolBoard StatesAdded a new Board State History system that records previous board positions throughout a match.Added a history carousel for browsing and selecting previous board states.Prediction SystemContinued refining the prediction system to make prediction chains more robust and reliable.Refined prediction cleanup and visuals for a more consistent experience during gameplay.Evaluation toolReplaced the traditional evaluation bar with a new Position display that tracks actual remaining material, captures, and material advantage for both sides.Continued refining the overall visual presentation and board-state systems.
- Bug & Rendering Fix - 6 August 2026
CHESS.0 – Bug Fix & Visual Improvements Fixed prediction markers appearing when the cursor was positioned outside of the chessboard while the right mouse button was active, preventing unintended cell highlights.Fixed board cell highlights and prediction markers carrying over from mouse gestures made during the piece selection screen, which could cause visual elements to appear before a match began.Prediction markers and board highlights now render only during match.Piece Selection ScreenRemoved the splash screen for a faster startup.Updated the piece selection interface.Replaced boxed selection indicators with a cleaner underline.Added a particle system that works alongside the black hole background.Selected pieces now emit colored particles based on their selection state.These visuals are still being refined and may change during development.Visual ImprovementsRemoved the screen scan l…
- CHESS.0 – Engine Improvements & Reset Rework - 16 June 2026
CHESS.0 – Engine ImprovementsImprovements have been made to the engine's decision-making process and overall match evaluation.The engine now uses the complete recorded move log as a primary game-state reference, allowing it to track game progression and react directly to player actions as a match develops rather than evaluating positions in isolation.Castling has been Properly integrated into the engine's evaluation, allowing it to correctly recognize, prioritize, and execute castling opportunities while maintaining proper king and rook state tracking. Repetition-related issues affecting rook behavior have also been resolved, resulting in more reliable move generation and improved positional play.Example Engine ResponseThe following move sequence demonstrates the engine reading the developing game state and reacting throughout the match:1. ♙ c2→c4 ♞ b8→c62. ♙ g2→g3 ♞ g8→f63. ♗ f1→g2 ♞ c…
- CHESS.0 – Prediction System Visual & Chain Update - 18 April 2026
Visual Improvements (Prediction System)Pieces now generate color-coded prediction paths when drawn, clearly indicating which moves belong to which pieceThis eliminates confusion when multiple prediction lines overlap during complex or high-intensity positionsBoard highlighting has been refined for clarity:Cyan highlights represent White piecesMagenta highlights represent Black piecesLime green represents unoccupied squaresImproved visual consistency across all prediction states for faster readability and cleaner board interpretationChaining System ImprovementsAdded improved chaining visuals, with color coordination preserved across multiple connected cellsChains now remain visually consistent as they propagate, making multi-step interactions easier to followThis helps maintain clarity during longer or more complex sequence evaluations
- CHESS.0 – Prediction System Update - 11 April 2026
Prediction SystemAll prediction arrows now use a unified lime neon styleBoard highlights remain distinct with cyan-based visual feedback for white piecesReduced visual clutter for better readability during intense positions Improved Input SystemRight-click to place or remove predictions instantly (toggle system)Click again on the same move to delete itMiddle-click clears all predictions instantly Fully Supports Board FlippingPrediction input now correctly adapts to flipped board states Performance & Stability ImprovementsRemoved unnecessary logic and redundant checksMore stable behavior when rapidly drawing or editing predictionsFixed issues with duplicate or conflicting prediction states
- Development Update - 7 April 2026
CHESS.0 – Progress Update: Multiplayer & Game FeelHey everyone,I wanted to share a quick update on what’s been happening behind the scenes with CHESS.0.The main focus lately has been improving how the game feels to play. A lot of small changes have come together to make a big difference in responsiveness and overall polish.Recent improvements:Improved hover and selection feedbackBetter visual clarity during moves and capturesGeneral UI polishMouse cursor synchronized to player colorBoard flip mechanic implemented — the board now correctly flips based on turn, and labels display properlyWhat’s next:A playable demo is now complete, but it’s not quite where I want it to be yet. There are still a few key features and refinements I want to implement before it’s ready to share.The focus right now is on tightening the overall experience — making every move feel smooth, responsive, and intentio…
