Chaturanga
Play chess in VS Code — against a friend or an offline computer opponent.
A full chess board right inside your editor — real Staunton pieces, multiple themes, and a fast offline opponent. No account, no network, no distractions.
Why Chaturanga
- ♟️ Two ways to play — face a friend on the same board, or an offline computer opponent.
- ⚡ Fast, offline engine — the computer responds instantly. Nothing leaves your machine.
- 🎨 Real pieces, real themes — classic Staunton pieces with five board themes.
- 🕹️ Full game controls — move history, undo / redo, board flip, and a fullscreen view.
- 💾 Save & resume — keep games between sessions; import / export PGN and FEN.
- 🧩 Native feel — lives in the Activity Bar with a sidebar for controls and game info.
- 🔓 Open source — MIT licensed.
Game Modes
| Mode |
Description |
| 👥 Play a Friend |
Two players share the same board — perfect for a quick game with a colleague. |
| 🤖 Play the Computer |
Take on an offline opponent at your chosen difficulty. |
Difficulty
| Level |
Style |
| 🟢 Easy |
Quick, casual replies — great for warming up. |
| 🟡 Medium |
Looks a little deeper and punishes loose moves. |
| 🔴 Hard |
Searches further for a tougher game. |
Board Themes & Pieces
| 🎨 Themes |
♟️ Piece Sets |
| Classic |
Classic |
| Green |
Neo |
| Blue |
Alpha |
| Dark |
Wood |
| Purple |
|
Set your defaults in Settings (see Settings) or switch on the fly from the in-board settings panel.
Screenshots
🤖 Play the Computer
Take on the offline opponent — here mid-game on the green theme.
🌙 Dark Theme
Checkmate on the dark board, with check and last-move highlights.
Installation
Easy Installation
- Open Visual Studio Code.
- Go to the Extensions view (
Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X).
- Search for Chaturanga.
- Click Install.
- Open the Chess icon in the Activity Bar.
- Click New Game and start playing.
Alternate Installation (Command Palette)
- Open the Quick Open bar (
Ctrl+P / Cmd+P).
- Paste the command below and press Enter:
ext install ToqirAhmad.chaturanga
How to Play
- Open the Chess view from the Activity Bar.
- Click New Game to open the board.
- Use the sidebar to choose a mode (Friend or Computer), set difficulty, and control the game.
- Click a piece to see its legal moves, then click a destination square to play.
- Use the sidebar (or the shortcuts below) to undo, redo, flip the board, and save your game.
Commands
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and search for Chess:
| Command |
Description |
| Chess: Open Board |
Open the chess board panel. |
| Chess: New Game |
Start a fresh game. |
| Chess: Flip Board |
Flip the board orientation. |
| Chess: Undo Move |
Take back the last move. |
| Chess: Redo Move |
Replay an undone move. |
| Chess: Resume Game |
Resume a saved game. |
| Chess: Import PGN |
Load a game from PGN. |
| Chess: Export PGN |
Export the current game as PGN. |
| Chess: Copy FEN |
Copy the current position as FEN. |
| Chess: Paste FEN |
Load a position from FEN. |
| Chess: Open Settings |
Open the in-board settings panel. |
Keyboard Shortcuts
Active while the chess board panel is focused:
| Action |
Windows / Linux |
macOS |
| New Game |
Ctrl+Alt+N |
Cmd+Alt+N |
| Undo |
Ctrl+Z |
Cmd+Z |
| Redo |
Ctrl+Y |
Cmd+Shift+Z |
| Flip Board |
Ctrl+Alt+F |
Cmd+Alt+F |
| Resume Game |
Ctrl+Alt+R |
Cmd+Alt+R |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Options |
chess.defaultTheme |
classic |
classic, green, blue, dark, purple |
chess.defaultPieceSet |
classic |
classic, neo, alpha, wood |
Credits
Chess pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (the "cburnett" set), used under the BSD license.
License
MIT © Toqir Ahmad
