About
ChessVision.ai uses computer vision and AI to recognize chess positions from any medium and turn them into fully interactive, analyzable board positions. Whether you're browsing a chess website, reading a PDF chess book, watching a YouTube video, or snapping a photo of a printed diagram, ChessVision.ai extracts the position and opens it for deep analysis. The browser extension (available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari) lets users scan diagrams on any webpage, get best-move hints, and even enhance Chess.com with a Videos Section showing YouTube explanations for the current board position. The award-winning eBook Reader — recognized at the ChessTech2020 Conference — transforms static PDF chess books into interactive training tools, allowing teachers to export diagrams as Lichess Studies or PDF exercise sheets. The iOS and Android mobile apps let players photograph physical boards or books and instantly get analysis alongside matching YouTube instructional videos. The Video App provides a synchronized analysis board and engine while watching chess content, and includes a Board Explorer to search thousands of YouTube videos by position or concept such as 'exchange sacrifice in the Sicilian.' ChessVision.ai also extends to social platforms via dedicated Discord, Twitter, and Reddit bots. It's ideal for chess students, coaches, content creators, and casual players who want to bridge the gap between static chess material and dynamic, engine-backed analysis.
Key Features
- Browser Extension: Scan chess diagrams on any website and get instant engine analysis and YouTube video explanations. Available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
- Interactive eBook Reader: Open any PDF chess book and double-click diagrams to analyze positions. Export exercises to Lichess Study or PDF sheets — ideal for chess coaches.
- Mobile Scanner App: Photograph printed or digital chess diagrams with your iOS or Android device; the app recognizes the position and opens it on an analysis board with matching YouTube videos.
- Video App with Real-Time Analysis: Watch chess YouTube videos with a synchronized analysis board and engine. Search videos by chess concept, opening, or position using the Board Explorer.
- Social Media Bots: Analyze chess diagrams posted on Discord, Twitter, and Reddit through dedicated bots that automatically recognize and evaluate shared positions.
Use Cases
- A chess student uses the browser extension to scan puzzles on a chess website and get engine-suggested best moves with video explanations.
- A chess coach opens a PDF chess book in the eBook Reader, selects key positions, and exports them as exercise sheets for students via Lichess Study.
- A tournament player photographs a printed opening preparation sheet and uses the mobile app to analyze the positions on an interactive board.
- A chess enthusiast uses the Video App to watch YouTube games with a synchronized analysis board and searches for videos covering specific openings by concept.
- A Discord server admin adds the ChessVision.ai bot so members can post chess diagram images and instantly receive automated position analysis in the chat.
Pros
- Multi-Platform Coverage: Works across browsers, mobile devices, PDF ebooks, videos, and social media — covering virtually every format chess content appears in.
- YouTube Video Matching: Automatically finds and plays YouTube videos explaining a scanned position, connecting static analysis with real instructional content.
- Award-Winning eBook Reader: The eBook Reader won Best Chess Startup 2020 at ChessTech2020, making it a trusted and recognized tool in the chess community.
Cons
- Chess-Only Use Case: The tool is highly specialized for chess, offering no utility outside of chess analysis and study.
- Dependent on External Video Content: The video-matching feature relies on YouTube content availability; niche or rare positions may not have matching instructional videos.
- Accuracy Varies by Image Quality: Computer vision scanning accuracy can degrade with low-quality, blurry, or non-standard chess diagram formats.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sources can ChessVision.ai scan?
ChessVision.ai can scan chess positions from websites (via browser extension), PDF eBooks (via the eBook Reader), photos of physical boards or books (via mobile app), and YouTube videos (via the Video App).
Is ChessVision.ai free to use?
ChessVision.ai offers free versions of its apps and extensions with core functionality. Some advanced features may require a premium subscription.
Which browsers are supported by the extension?
The browser extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
Can chess teachers use ChessVision.ai for their students?
Yes. The eBook Reader allows teachers to select diagrams from chess books and export them as exercises to Lichess Study or as PDF sheets for student use.
Does the mobile app work on both iOS and Android?
Yes, ChessVision.ai has dedicated apps for both iOS and Android that allow you to photograph diagrams and get instant analysis with YouTube video matching.
