Chess Sidequest is a completely offline, lightweight VS Code extension designed for the modern developer workflow. Whether you are waiting for a lengthy build to finish, watching your AI agent write code, or just taking a brief mental break, this extension lets you make the most of your fragmented time. It brings 10,000 hand-picked puzzles directly into your editor—allowing you to stay sharp and relaxed without ever breaking your context or switching windows.
Zero-Setup Puzzles: Dive straight into exactly 10,000 categorized tactical puzzles provided by the open-source Lichess Database.
100% Local & Resource Friendly: Runs completely offline. The included Stockfish engine is strictly lazy-loaded via WebWorkers and instantly terminated after use, guaranteeing 0% background CPU hoarding while you code.
Fluid & Responsive Layout: Built with a dynamic flex-box design that naturally snaps into tiny side-panels or full-screen editor groups seamlessly with absolutely zero scrollbars.
Advanced Analysis: Failed a puzzle? Enter Analysis Mode to let the local Stockfish engine dissect the position with multiple line (MultiPV) evaluations.
Social Sharing: Instantly copy Wordle-style attempt grids to your clipboard to seamlessly share your tactical prowess with your team or friends.
🚀 Installation
Note: Instructions for the VS Code Marketplace once published.
Open VS Code.
Navigate to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X).
Search for "Chess Sidequest".
Click Install.
📖 How to Use
Launch: Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) and type Chess Sidequest: Start.
Select Category: Pick from 13 different tactical categories including Forks, Pins, Endgame, and Mate in 1/2.
Play: Drag and drop your pieces to solve the puzzle.
Analyze: If you get stuck, take a hint 💡 or click Analyze 🔍 to spin up the local Stockfish engine to break down the best lines.
Share: Once solved, click Share 📤 to copy your emoji-grid attempt history directly to your clipboard!
🔒 Security & Privacy
We care deeply about keeping the development environment safe and performant:
100% Offline: The extension makes absolutely zero external network requests. All puzzles and engines are bundled locally.
No XSS Risks: All dynamic data (like engine evaluations) is injected safely using strict text assignments, preventing cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
Strict Resource Control: Our embedded Stockfish engine is strictly lazy-loaded on demand and instantly terminated when not in use. It will never hoard your CPU in the background while you code.
