Play coach
Play against a coach that says what it is thinking
An engine that plays a strong move and leaves you to work out why is a puzzle, not a lesson. The play coach talks as the game goes on — pointing at the threat you missed, the square you gave up, the plan it is following — so you learn during the game instead of after it.
A game that doubles as a lesson
Choose a colour and a strength, and the coach sits opposite you. As you play it comments in a speech bubble next to the board, and if you prefer to listen rather than read, it can speak the feedback aloud. The commentary is generated by the explanation engine, the same engine that drives the game review, so the language is consistent between playing and reviewing.
Feedback while you play
Not a wall of numbers — a sentence about the position, delivered when it is still relevant.
Several personalities
Pick a coach with a different tone and difficulty, so a beginner and a club player do not get the same commentary.
English and Arabic
Coaches ship in both languages, and the coach language is independent of the app's interface language.
Straight into review
When the game ends, send it to the full review or the analysis board without exporting anything.
What it is good for
- Learning an opening properly. Play the same line against the coach several times and hear the ideas behind the moves, not just the move order.
- Fixing a habit. If you keep weakening your king position, the coach will keep pointing at it, which is more persuasive than a graph.
- Practising a plan. Set up a structure you want to understand and try it against a real opponent with commentary.
- Playing in Arabic. Chess coaching material in Arabic is thin. The Arabic coaches exist so the explanation arrives in the language you think in.
The play coach includes a free session each day. After that it sits with the other limited features in the premium plan — the analysis board and the game review themselves stay free.
Questions
How is this different from playing a normal chess engine?
A normal engine only tells you the evaluation after the fact. The coach explains the reason as the game develops, so the mistake is connected to an idea you can remember the next time the position appears.
Can the coach speak Arabic?
Yes. chessKish ships coach personalities in English and in Arabic, and the coach language is chosen independently of the interface language, so you can keep the app in English and still be coached in Arabic.
Does the play coach cost anything?
There is a free session each day. After that the play coach is part of the premium plan, along with the other limited features such as the analysis coach and the puzzle modes.
Can I review the game afterwards?
Yes. When the game ends you can send it straight to the full game review or to the analysis board, so the coached session and the detailed engine analysis are the same workflow.