Playing the computer is a slow way to learn: you lose, but you never find out which move went wrong. In the “Play with a coach” mode on 9qum, an AI coach sits next to the board. It rates every move you make, stops the game before a serious mistake and helps when you are stuck. Here is how it works and how to go from your first moves to rated games against people.
🎓 Play with a coach ▶ Play chess
You pick a coach and a playing strength — one of 10 levels powered by Stockfish. The coach plays against you at that level and reviews your moves at the same time: Stockfish checks each move and compares the position before and after it. There is no clock and no rating in coach mode, so take as long as you need and do not worry about mistakes. An unfinished game is saved, and you can come back to it later.
After each of your moves, a badge with one of six ratings appears on the board:
Moves from opening theory get a 📖 “book move” badge. After one game you can see exactly where you played well and where the advantage slipped away.
A pause on blunders. When your move is a blunder, the game pauses. A red arrow shows how your opponent can punish it, and two buttons replace the usual panel: “Take back” and “Continue”. You see the threat before it costs you the game and can try a better move straight away.
There are ten coaches, each with a personality of their own: calm, strict, upbeat or teacherly. Daniyar, Aigerim and Aruzhan are free; the other seven come with a subscription.
The ratings are approximate: the Stockfish scale is calibrated against engines, not people.
| Level | ≈ rating | Level | ≈ rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | 600 | Class I | 1800 |
| Beginner | 900 | Candidate Master of Sport | 2000 |
| Amateur | 1200 | Master of Sport | 2200 |
| Class III | 1400 | Grandmaster | 2500 |
| Class II | 1600 | Stockfish — maximum | 3200 |
If you are just learning, start with Novice and move up a step after three wins in a row.
A plain computer opponent just plays and stays silent — finding your mistakes is up to you. The AI coach plays the same way but rates every move and stops you on blunders; it is available any time and never tires of questions. A human tutor is still the best choice for a study plan, reviewing tournament games and motivation. The coach on 9qum does not replace one — it helps between lessons, so tutor time goes to harder topics.
Once “mistake” and “blunder” show up less often, play the computer without hints — your “Vs AI” games are saved in your history — and then move on to online tables against people. There you get a separate Glicko-2 rating for chess and can join tournaments.
🎓 Play with a coach 📚 Learn 🧩 Puzzles
Yes. Three coaches (Daniyar, Aigerim and Aruzhan), move ratings, the pause on blunders, 3 hints per game and 3 questions to the coach a day are all free. A subscription unlocks seven more coaches and more questions.
Yes, you play after signing in. It is free and takes about a minute. In return, your games, progress and rating are saved and available on any device.
Yes, with one button. All comments, move ratings and hints stay on screen as text. By default the voice is the one built into your phone or computer.
As strong as you choose: from Novice (about 600) to full-strength Stockfish (about 3200). Stockfish rates your moves just as strictly at any level.
Yes, once a child knows how the pieces move. If not, start with the course in Learn: its first 7 steps cover only the rules. Younger children do best playing alongside an adult.
Yes. It runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer — there is nothing to download.