Claude Chess
Play chess against Claude in a side pane, with the tokens each move cost.
Illustration. Actual results depend on the mod, terminal and environment.
Install
Installation is unusual; follow the original author’s instructions
Read the author’s instructions ↗What it accesses
Based on the author’s documentation, checked when listed; use claude plugin validate to check for yourself.
Reads
YesForks the session transcript for Claude's moves; reads plugin options.
Writes files
UnspecifiedNot stated in the README; no file or store writes seen in the code.
Runs commands
UnspecifiedNot stated in the README; no external commands seen in the code.
Network
YesModel requests through Claude Code; with a Jev key, sends the position to TypeSafe or the AI Gateway.
Introduction
Claude Chess is a Claude Code mod: /chess opens a board in a side pane so you can play chess against Claude while your session keeps running.
- Click a piece, then a square (legal moves and captures are highlighted), or type SAN (
e4,Nf3,O-O) or UCI (e2e4) in the field under the board. - Full rules: castling, en passant, promotion, checkmate, stalemate, fifty-move rule, threefold repetition and insufficient material.
- Claude's move comes from
$.model.fork, one tool-less completion over your session's transcript on the session's model, so the pane shows real API token counts (mostly cache reads, growing with the session). Before the first turn it usesfallbackModel(haiku by default). - With a TypeSafe or Vercel AI Gateway Jev key, Jev plays instead: one HTTP request per move, no transcript read and no Claude tokens.
- Docks beside the transcript in fullscreen (110+ columns), otherwise above the prompt; the status line shows the game and token total.
Install with npx claude-code-templates@latest --mod games/chess, which writes it to .claude/skills/chess/ for a trusted project; there is no marketplace. The author notes mods are on by default in 2.1.287+ and it was written and tested on 2.1.283. The preview is illustrative.
Who it is for
- People who want a chess game while waiting on Claude
- People curious about the real token cost of a forked call
Requirements
- Claude Code ≥ 2.1.287
- Installed with npx claude-code-templates into .claude/skills/chess/; the project must be trusted.
- Docking in fullscreen needs 110+ columns; written and tested on 2.1.283.