Guess Masters Play

Probably the most rewarding exercise in chess: replaying a great player’s games and predicting every move. Every other module prepares you for the critical moments, but it is the non-critical moments where the gap between a strong and a weak player really shows, one slightly worse move at a time.

Here you play the master’s side under game conditions. Your score for each move depends on how hard that move was to find, not simply on how strong Stockfish thinks it was: 0 marks for an obvious move, 1 for an easy one, and up to 8 for a brilliancy. Your score is the percentage of the game’s marks you took, which turns into a realistic rating performance at the end — one that should motivate you to do better next time.

The two players teach different things. With Magnus Carlsen you hone your positional and endgame skills: maintaining tension on the board, and building harmony between your pieces by simulating a master’s manoeuvring. With Mikhail Tal, the greatest attacker of all time, you learn attacking skills — how he prepares an attack before launching the full blow.

Games are untimed by default, so you can take all the time you need for deep study at home. If you want the pressure of a real chess clock, you can choose one once you are inside.