Three-check Chess
Give three checks or deliver checkmate before the computer does.
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Three-check Chess
Play full chess with a second route to victory: give the opposing king check three times before the engine does.
Engine strength
Play as
How to Play
- 1Choose the AI strength and whether to begin as White or play from Black's perspective
- 2Play with every standard chess rule, including castling, en passant and promotion
- 3Each move that checks the opposing king adds one to your visible counter
- 4Win immediately on your third checking move, or deliver checkmate sooner
- 5Watch the opponent's counter closely and answer a threatened third check
Cognitive Skills This Game Trains
Working Memory
The ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind over short periods. Trained through tasks that require maintaining and updating mental representations.
About This Game
Three-check Chess makes initiative measurable. Checks that would be harmless in a classical game can become permanent progress, while a king that has already been checked twice turns every forcing line into a potential finish. The engine carries both counters through every search position, recognises third-check wins as terminal and increasingly values checking moves as its own counter rises. Takebacks restore the counters with the board, and repetition treats different counter totals as genuinely different game states.
The Science Behind It
Tracking a cumulative threat alongside the board increases working-memory load and changes how players rank candidate moves. The player must remember an irreversible score, anticipate forcing replies and inhibit attractive checks that expose a stronger counterattack, combining sustained attention with tactical planning.
Difficulty rating
Hard
Intense challenge for experienced players. Demands peak cognitive performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you win Three-check chess?
Deliver check three separate times, or checkmate the opposing king at any point. The on-screen counters show how many checks each player has delivered.
Does double check count twice?
No. A move that attacks the king with two pieces is still one checking move, so it adds exactly one to the delivering player's counter. A discovered check also adds one.
What happens when I take back a move?
The board and both check counters return to their exact earlier values. You receive one free takeback before the site's memory-check gate is used.
