How it works
Race a shrinking reaction window using White, Black, Alternate, or Random orientation. Labels can be on or off.
THE BOARDWITHIN FIELD GUIDE
Build your
internal board.
Follow ten training levels from your first coordinate to hidden-piece checkmate, then try the separate Blindfold Game mode. Use the instructions and real app screenshots below. The current tabs are Home, Train, My Training, and Profile.
LEVEL 01
Notation Basics
White’s perspective · Labeled board
Learn the coordinates before you remove the labels.
- Tap
- Read the requested coordinate and tap that square. A correct tap shows a green confirmation; an incorrect tap marks your selection in red.
- Voice
- Look at the marked square and say its coordinate. After a correct answer, the next target is highlighted.
LEVEL 02
Black Side — Coordinates
Black’s perspective · Labeled board
Build the same coordinate map with the board turned around.
- Tap
- Read the coordinate and find it on the flipped board. Use the rank and file labels to orient yourself.
- Voice
- Name the marked square from Black’s perspective. Keep using the actual coordinate, even though the board is reversed.
LEVEL 03
No Labels
White’s perspective · Unlabeled board
Find squares using the board map you have learned.
- Tap
- Find the requested square without rank or file labels. The green confirmation stays aligned with the completed prompt.
- Voice
- Identify the marked square from White’s perspective and say its coordinate.
LEVEL 04
Black Side — No Labels
Black’s perspective · Unlabeled board
Recognize squares from the opposite side without label support.
- Tap
- Find the named square on the flipped, unlabeled board.
- Voice
- Say the coordinate of the marked square from Black’s perspective.
LEVEL 05
Piece Movement
White’s perspective · Visualize a piece’s movement
Work out a destination from the piece and the question.
- Tap
- Read the square-relationship question. Select the piece first, then tap the square you calculated.
- Voice
- Solve the relationship in your head and say the destination square. Phonetic files help: “Foxtrot three” means F3.
LEVEL 06
Black Side — Movement
Black’s perspective · No coordinate labels
Repeat Level 5’s piece-and-square geometry with the board viewed from Black’s side.
- Tap
- Read the relationship, select the black piece, then tap the destination you calculated. Questions use bigger or smaller numbers, rather than up or down, so the meaning stays the same when the board is flipped.
- Voice
- Visualize the destination and say its coordinate, using the phonetic file and rank when helpful.
LEVEL 07
Square Recall
Study → Hide → Identify
Remember what occupied a square.
- Study
- Memorize the whole position while the countdown runs. The pieces then disappear.
- Tap recall
- Read “What was on C1?” and choose the matching color and piece from the answer buttons below the board.
- Voice recall
- Answer the color and piece. For example: “What was on C1?” → “White bishop.” The position and question vary between exercises.
LEVEL 08
Piece Recall
Study → Hide → Locate
Remember where a named piece was.
- Study
- Memorize the position before the pieces disappear. Only a piece with one possible square is used, so the named piece is unambiguous.
- Tap recall
- Read the named-piece question and tap its remembered square on the empty board.
- Voice recall
- Answer the square. For example: “Where was the white bishop?” → “Charlie one” (C1). This is the reverse of Level 7’s color-and-piece question.
LEVEL 09
Visualize to Mate
White’s perspective · Study → Hide → Play to mate
Keep a changing position in your head all the way to checkmate, playing White.
- Study
- Progress through four stages: king and two rooks, king and queen, king and one rook, then mixed challenges using those same three endings. Each ending has 32 starting variants for each player color. All boards are unlabeled during study, hidden play, and reveal. Study at your own pace, then choose Hide pieces & start.
- Play
- Enter a legal move in notation, such as “Ra7,” or use Voice: “Rook alpha seven.” If both rooks can reach a square, specify the starting square or select the intended rook. The defending king replies automatically. Its last move stays visible in a compact strip at the top, even while scrolling, together with whose turn follows; the full move history remains visible below. This works with either typed or voice input. You can also have replies read aloud.
- Rebuild and continue
- Reveal the position when you need help, then hide it to continue. Undo turn restores your move and the automatic reply. Save & leave preserves the level, stage, position, and move history for later.
- Finish
- Completion requires actual checkmate. Stalemate receives a separate explanation. Mate from two different starting positions in each of Stages 1–3 to unlock the next stage. In Stage 4, mate once with each ending. Complete all four stages to finish the level. Completed stages stay open for replay; repeating an already completed starting position does not earn another completion. Reveals and undo are allowed while learning. These levels track completion separately and do not change Blindfold Score. The defending king is an unrated practice routine, not guaranteed perfect play.
LEVEL 10
Black Side — Visualize to Mate
Black’s perspective · Study → Hide → Play to mate
Keep a changing position in your head all the way to checkmate, playing Black.
- Study
- Progress through four stages: king and two rooks, king and queen, king and one rook, then mixed challenges using those same three endings. Each ending has 32 starting variants for each player color. All boards are unlabeled during study, hidden play, and reveal. Study at your own pace, then choose Hide pieces & start.
- Play
- Enter a legal move in notation, such as “Ra7,” or use Voice: “Rook alpha seven.” If both rooks can reach a square, specify the starting square or select the intended rook. The defending king replies automatically. Its last move stays visible in a compact strip at the top, even while scrolling, together with whose turn follows; the full move history remains visible below. This works with either typed or voice input. You can also have replies read aloud.
- Rebuild and continue
- Reveal the position when you need help, then hide it to continue. Undo turn restores your move and the automatic reply. Save & leave preserves the level, stage, position, and move history for later.
- Finish
- Completion requires actual checkmate. Stalemate receives a separate explanation. Mate from two different starting positions in each of Stages 1–3 to unlock the next stage. In Stage 4, mate once with each ending. Complete all four stages to finish the level. Completed stages stay open for replay; repeating an already completed starting position does not earn another completion. Reveals and undo are allowed while learning. These levels track completion separately and do not change Blindfold Score. The defending king is an unrated practice routine, not guaranteed perfect play.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Blindfold Game
This complete-game mode is separate from Training Levels 1–10. Play with the pieces hidden. Use the notation to maintain the position, and reveal the board when you need to rebuild your mental picture.
Choose your challenge
Select Foundation, Intermediate, or Advanced, then choose White or Black. Starting a new game replaces an unfinished saved game; use Resume Saved Game to continue it.
Follow the notation
The full move history stays visible and the latest move is highlighted. Use it to reconstruct the position while the board is hidden.
Type or speak a move
In Type mode, enter a move and press Play. In Voice mode, wait for the green listening dot, then say the move. Examples include “Knight F3,” “pawn E4,” and “castle kingside.”
Clarify or correct
If two pieces can make the move, choose the intended starting square. Illegal moves receive feedback. If a move was misheard and played, Redo Move rewinds your move and the computer’s reply so you can try again.
Reveal, then keep going
Reveal briefly shows the pieces so you can study the position. The board hides again automatically. An unfinished game is saved so you can return later.
| Opponent | Reveals |
|---|---|
| Foundation · Unrated | Unlimited |
| Intermediate · Unrated | Earn one every 4 full moves |
| Advanced · Unrated | Earn one every 10 full moves |
Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced are unrated practice settings. The simple on-device engine can miss tactics and mates.
RAPID CHALLENGE
Make board recognition automatic
What you track
Average response time, streak, and Recognition Score. A miss or timeout ends the run.
Why this matters
Square recognition should not consume calculation time. Rapid pushes it toward automatic recall so attention stays on the position.
POSITION RECALL
Keep track of the position
How it works
Study a position, let the reference disappear, then rebuild it from memory. Difficulty grows from a few pieces to full game positions.
What you do
Memorize piece-square relationships during the study window. When the board clears, choose each piece from the tray and place it back on the square you remember.
Why this matters
Calculation depends on keeping every relevant piece correctly located while the imagined position changes. Recall directly trains that stability.
PUZZLES
Calculate after the board disappears
How it works
100 curated Lichess positions. Study time rises from 8 seconds at Beginner to 22 seconds at Extreme, then the pieces hide.
What you do
Calculate from memory. The opponent responds automatically while the board remains hidden. Hint and a 3-second Reveal are available. When you finish, the final position and complete tactical line are revealed for review.
Why this matters
Traditional tactics let the diagram do memory work. Hidden-board puzzles force you to retain the position and calculate from the mental image.
Puzzle source: Lichess open database • CC0.
MY TRAINING
Your personal practice
Open My Training from Home or the bottom tab. Choose a session, revisit a mistake, or practice your own positions.
Daily session
An optional session lasting about 8–12 minutes: 3 minutes of Rapid, up to 4 minutes of due reviews, and 5 minutes of hidden-board puzzles or recall. If nothing is due, the review block is skipped. You can pause and resume, or end a block early.
Mistake Review
Mistakes from supported exercises return after one day. Successful reviews are spaced another 3, then 7 days apart. A miss restarts the spacing; three successful reviews retire the item until you miss it again. Reviews do not change Blindfold Score. The current queue supports Levels 1–8, Puzzles, Your Positions, and Hidden Calculation.
Your Positions
Choose Build your board, or paste a standard-chess PGN game or FEN position. PGN imports use the main line; comments and variations are skipped. Saved positions and games stay in your local library.
The builder starts with a full board and White at the bottom. Drag either color from the trays or move pieces freely to arrange your position. Use the trash area to remove a piece, undo an edit, or choose Start new board. A previous draft can be restored explicitly.
Save your setup, then choose Continue to study & recall. Select your perspective, recall question type, and a 3–15 second study time. Study the position, let the pieces hide, then identify a piece or its square. This is visualization practice; it does not evaluate moves or identify blunders.
BOARD THEMES
Train on a board that feels familiar
How it works
Choose Slate, Walnut, Tournament, Midnight, or Royal. A live 8×8 preview updates instantly so you can judge board and piece contrast before training.
What to choose
Use the board you read most comfortably. Choose the colors and contrast that make each square easiest for you to read.
Why this matters
Themes change the board’s appearance. Square relationships and the training task remain consistent.
SAY IT CLEARLY
Using Voice
Allow microphone and speech recognition access when the app asks. Select Voice and wait for the green listening indicator before answering.
Use the answer the exercise asks for: a square, a color and piece, or a complete move. For coordinates, these file names can help:
A AlphaB BravoC CharlieD DeltaE EchoF FoxtrotG GolfH Hotel
If listening stops after a phone call, return to the app and use Restart listening where available, or switch Tap/Type → Voice. Wait for the listening indicator before speaking again. Check the Heard text when the exercise displays it.
Practice the underlying skills
Explore our visualization, memory, and beginner blindfold chess guides.