Building a Simple Chess Game with ChessJS

As I sat down to start a new project, I thought to myself: how can I take the timeless game of chess and build something engaging and modern with the tools I know best? What if I could create an experience where people could not only challenge themselves against an AI opponent but also track their progress and improve, all while using the most cutting-edge web technologies?

That idea blossomed into what became my chess application. At first, it felt like a straightforward project—just a chess game, right? But as I dug deeper into the complexities, especially around state management, performance, and user experience, I realized that this project was more than just a game. It was a journey. One that taught me a lot, not just about coding, but about how to approach problem-solving and building something from the ground up.

Let’s take a deeper dive into how I built this, the struggles I faced, and the lessons I learned along the way.

Tech Stack: The Backbone of It All

Choosing the right tech stack was probably one of the most important decisions I made early on. I wanted something that would allow me to work efficiently and at the same time scale well for the app’s needs. React with TypeScript seemed like the natural choice, as it offered a modern approach to building UI components with type safety, which I knew would save me a lot of headaches down the line. I paired it with Vite as the build tool. Fast and optimized, Vite was the perfect choice, enabling me to focus on development rather than waiting for slow build times.

Styling was another area I thought a lot about. I knew that responsiveness was going to be key for this app. The game board had to work across various devices, from mobile phones to desktop screens. That’s where Tailwind CSS came in, offering utility-first styling that made it easy to create responsive layouts quickly. I’ve always been skeptical of utility-first frameworks, but Tailwind surprised me. It made sense. It was fast, it was modular, and it was efficient.

When it came to handling the game logic, I turned to chess.js—a library built specifically for chess move validation and game state management. And to display the game in a way that felt interactive, I used react-chessboard, which let me build the chessboard UI with ease. Icons for the app were handled by Lucide React, which provided beautiful, consistent icons to enhance the overall visual appeal.

On the backend, I used Supabase for everything related to authentication, database management, and real-time capabilities. Supabase’s PostgreSQL integration was perfect for my needs, especially with features like Row Level Security (RLS) to keep things secure. The best part? Supabase is incredibly simple to set up and manage, which saved me from having to spend too much time managing infrastructure.

The Key Features That Kept Me Going

I wanted to build something more than just a chess game; I wanted to build an experience that people would love to use.

• Interactive Chess Board I knew I had to get the chessboard just right. The drag-and-drop piece movement felt so important to create that tactile, immersive experience. But with it came the challenge of making sure the game state stayed in sync with the UI. I used React’s useState and useRef hooks, and to optimize performance, I memoized expensive calculations and debounced state updates. Keeping everything responsive while managing game state was a major hurdle I didn’t anticipate.

• User Experience I can’t stress enough how crucial UX is for any application. I wanted the experience to be smooth, intuitive, and visually pleasing. I implemented dark and light mode support (because who doesn’t love a good dark mode?), and used Tailwind CSS to create a responsive design that works well on all screen sizes. I also focused on smooth animations to make the game feel fluid, even during intense moments.

• Game Features The AI opponent was one of the most complex features to implement. Creating a challenging yet fun AI opponent involved understanding the mechanics of chess at a deep level. I used algorithms that considered both defensive and offensive moves, making sure that the AI wasn’t too easy but also not unbeatable. There’s a fine line there.

• User Management and Authentication Implementing the authentication flow was another challenging aspect. I wanted users to be able to seamlessly switch between guest mode and authenticated accounts, without disrupting their game progress. To do that, I used local storage for guests to save their progress and Supabase for handling the email/password authentication flow. Ensuring smooth transitions between guest and authenticated users was harder than I expected, but once I got it working, it was worth it.

• Statistics and Leaderboards I wanted players to track their progress, so I added statistics tracking, win/loss tracking, and a leaderboard system. That meant working with Supabase’s real-time features to ensure that leaderboard data updated in real time, which was tricky. Creating a scalable, secure database structure was key here, and that’s where Row Level Security (RLS) really shone.

The Struggles: No Project is Without Its Challenges

Building this app wasn’t without its struggles. One of the first challenges I encountered was managing the state. Chess is a turn-based game, and every single move changes the state. Keeping track of all that data—especially when moves could come in quick succession—was tricky. I had to optimize for performance without compromising the responsiveness of the UI. React’s hooks and memoization were my saving grace, but it still took a lot of tinkering to get right.

The second major challenge came with mobile responsiveness. A chessboard on a small phone screen is not an ideal canvas. Getting the board to resize dynamically without breaking the UI took several iterations. Tailwind’s responsive utilities were incredibly helpful here, but I also had to create separate layouts for mobile and desktop to make the experience feel natural on both.

Then there was the issue of authentication. I underestimated the complexity of managing guest versus authenticated users. I had to think about not only how the app behaves but also how it maintains the user’s progress across sessions, even if they hadn’t logged in yet. Once I figured out how to preserve game state with local storage and make the transitions seamless, the project started to take shape.

Key Takeaways: Lessons Learned Along the Way

• Type Safety Matters Using TypeScript was one of the best decisions I made. As the project grew in complexity, TypeScript saved me countless hours by catching potential errors before they became problems. I also generated types from my database schema, which ensured consistency between the frontend and backend.

• Performance Optimization is Key From the start, I focused on optimizing performance. Whether it was debouncing state updates or using React.memo, every little performance tweak paid off in the long run. Ensuring smooth gameplay and fast loading times was essential for providing a good user experience.

• User Experience is Everything It sounds cliché, but it’s true. Players want a seamless, enjoyable experience. Dark mode, smooth animations, responsive design—it all matters. Taking the time to think about how users will interact with the game really helped shape the final product.

• Security and Data Integrity Are Non-Negotiable Security was always top of mind. From Row Level Security to proper database indexing and data validation, I made sure the app was as secure as possible. It’s something that often gets overlooked, but securing user data and game information is crucial.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next?

This project is far from finished. There are many features I’d like to add in the future:

• AI improvements, like adding different difficulty levels or even machine learning for move predictions.

• Social features, such as multiplayer support and a friend system.

• Performance enhancements, like service workers and offline support.

• Detailed analytics for deeper move analysis and game replays.

There’s always more to improve, more to learn, and more challenges to face. But that’s what makes development so exciting. It’s a constant journey, and every step forward feels like progress.

Building this chess application was a personal challenge—a deep dive into both the technical and design aspects of web development. The project forced me to problem-solve at every stage, and in doing so, I grew as a developer. And though the app is live now, it’s not the end. It’s just another beginning.

What I’ve learned? Don’t be afraid of the struggle. It’s part of the process, and it’s the best way to grow.

Links:

• Live Website:

  https://chess.alissanguyen.com/

• GitHub Repository:

  https://github.com/alissanguyen/chess-ai