Chess Master AI - Online Chess Platform with AI

Want your own chess website without building one from scratch? This is the complete source code for a working online chess platform: play against a real chess engine, challenge a friend in real time, or climb a ranked ladder. Built on plain PHP + MySQL no Node.js, no build pipeline, and no monthly AI API bill, because the chess engine runs right in the visitor's own browser.

WHAT YOU GET The full application source code (not a half-finished template), the database schema plus starter data, a web-based installer (upload, fill a form, done), ready-to-import demo data so the site looks populated from day one, and complete HTML documentation you can open straight in a browser.

WHY THIS ONE - The AI is free to run forever no API bill, since it runs in the   buyer's own browser, not your server - No Node.js, no WebSocket server, no expensive VPS required runs on   the cheapest PHP shared hosting - Clean, readable custom MVC code, not a heavyweight framework with   hundreds of dependencies - A guided web installer upload, fill a form, live in minutes - Ships with demo data looks like a real, active site immediately,   not an empty database

TECH SPEC - Backend: PHP 8.0+, lightweight custom MVC, no Composer/heavy   framework - Database: MySQL 5.7+ / MariaDB 10.3+, PDO with prepared statements - Frontend: vanilla JavaScript no React/Vue, no build step - AI engine: Stockfish, compiled to WebAssembly, runs in a Web Worker - Chess rules/notation: chess.js - Multiplayer sync: AJAX polling, not WebSockets deliberate, so it   runs on ordinary shared hosting - Admin UI: AdminLTE 3 + Bootstrap 4 + Chart.js - Every library is vendored in the source nothing loads from an   external CDN at runtime

SERVER REQUIREMENTS - PHP 8.0+, with pdo_mysql, mbstring, openssl, json, and session   extensions (on by default almost everywhere) - MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+ - Apache with mod_rewrite (.htaccess included), or Nginx (sample config   in the docs) - No Node.js, no Composer, no build step, no cron job needed for   anything

BEING UPFRONT ABOUT TRADE-OFFS - Multiplayer move validation is client-side (each browser checks legal   moves via chess.js); the server validates whose turn it is but doesn't   independently re-run full chess legality. Fine for casual/social play   for a cash-prize tournament you'd want server-side validation added. - Multiplayer sync uses polling (roughly 1-2 second delay), not   WebSockets a deliberate trade-off for shared-hosting compatibility   over instant push.

Demo:

https://chess.intereka.site

Admin

username: admin

password: admin123

Features

WAYS TO PLAY - Vs AI: play Stockfish, a real chess engine, at 4 editable difficulty   levels - Play Alone: two players, one device, no account needed - Multiplayer Rooms: host a public or password-protected room, share an   invite link, play in real time - Quick Join: one click into an open public room - Watch Rooms: spectate any live public match - Set Up Board: arrange any position, then challenge someone from it - Ranked Ladder: automatic matchmaking, Elo-style rating, public   leaderboard (login required)

SHARING & SOCIAL - In-room chat for players and spectators - Share Board: a permanent link to any board position - Screenshot/Snapshot: generates a downloadable PNG of the board from   the browser - Share to WhatsApp, X/Twitter, Facebook, Telegram, Email, plus native   device share support on mobile

CUSTOMIZATION - 5 board color themes out of the box, fully editable - 4 piece styles - Animated piece movement, last-move highlighting, automatic check   indicator

ADMIN PANEL (custom dark + gold theme) - Live dashboard: games per day, result breakdown, top players — via   Chart.js - Player management: search, view match history, disable/delete   accounts - Full game history with filters and a per-match detail view - Room monitor: view, close, or delete any multiplayer room - Site settings: name, AI difficulty, board themes, maintenance mode,   registration toggle — all without touching code - Built-in SEO settings: meta description, keywords, social share   image, indexing on/off switch, Google Analytics, Search Console - Multi-admin support with role-based access

SEO & MOBILE - Automatic meta tags, Open Graph, canonical URLs, sitemap.xml and   robots.txt on every page - A genuinely app-like mobile experience: fixed bottom tab bar and a   slide-up menu, not a shrunk desktop layout

INSTALLATION & SECURITY - Guided web installer with a requirements checker - Auto-detects its own URL path works at a domain root or in any   subfolder with no manual config - Clean URLs on every hosting setup no exposed /public/ path, no .php   in visible URLs - CSRF protection, bcrypt password hashing, security headers, and   hardened session cookies throughout

Requirements

WAYS TO PLAY - Vs AI: play Stockfish, a real chess engine, at 4 editable difficulty   levels - Play Alone: two players, one device, no account needed - Multiplayer Rooms: host a public or password-protected room, share an   invite link, play in real time - Quick Join: one click into an open public room - Watch Rooms: spectate any live public match - Set Up Board: arrange any position, then challenge someone from it - Ranked Ladder: automatic matchmaking, Elo-style rating, public   leaderboard (login required)

SHARING & SOCIAL - In-room chat for players and spectators - Share Board: a permanent link to any board position - Screenshot/Snapshot: generates a downloadable PNG of the board from   the browser - Share to WhatsApp, X/Twitter, Facebook, Telegram, Email, plus native   device share support on mobile

CUSTOMIZATION - 5 board color themes out of the box, fully editable - 4 piece styles - Animated piece movement, last-move highlighting, automatic check   indicator

ADMIN PANEL (AdminLTE, custom dark + gold theme) - Live dashboard: games per day, result breakdown, top players — via   Chart.js - Player management: search, view match history, disable/delete   accounts - Full game history with filters and a per-match detail view - Room monitor: view, close, or delete any multiplayer room - Site settings: name, AI difficulty, board themes, maintenance mode,   registration toggle — all without touching code - Built-in SEO settings: meta description, keywords, social share   image, indexing on/off switch, Google Analytics, Search Console - Multi-admin support with role-based access

SEO & MOBILE - Automatic meta tags, Open Graph, canonical URLs, sitemap.xml and   robots.txt on every page - A genuinely app-like mobile experience: fixed bottom tab bar and a   slide-up menu, not a shrunk desktop layout

INSTALLATION & SECURITY - Guided web installer with a requirements checker - Auto-detects its own URL path — works at a domain root or in any   subfolder with no manual config - Clean URLs on every hosting setup — no exposed /public/ path, no .php   in visible URLs - CSRF protection, bcrypt password hashing, security headers, and   hardened session cookies throughout

Instructions

Installation takes about 5 minutes and doesn't involve any command-line work — a guided web installer handles everything.

1. Upload all files to your hosting account. If your host lets you choose the document root, point it at the public/ folder; if not, just upload everything as-is to the account root — the app detects and adjusts for either setup automatically.
2. Open the site in your browser. Since it isn't configured yet, you'll be redirected to the installer automatically.
3. The installer checks your PHP/MySQL setup, then asks for your database credentials and the admin account you want to log in with. It creates the tables, saves your settings, and writes the config file for you — no manual SQL import needed.
4. Log in at /admin/login with the account you just created to start customizing (site name, AI difficulty, board themes, and more).

A full illustrated guide (docs/documentation.html — opens directly in any browser, no server needed) is included and covers local, VPS, and cPanel setups in more detail, plus every feature. Optional: import the included demo-data.sql after installing if you'd like the site populated with sample players and games instead of starting empty.