Close detail of the file-rank intersection with a paper hole on the selected square.
File-rank detail for the chess mark used across this install guide. Rank Timber original file-rank geometry for factory-chess (not a PyChess logo).

The first run is a proof, not a tour of every variant. Open PyChess, play or load a game, and stop when the board accepts a move.

Board and files

PyChess opens PGN, EPD, and FEN. Put those files in a folder you can back up. Longer: PGN and engines.

Engines later

Hint Mode arrows follow the analysis engine you choose in Preferences. Attach Stockfish or another UCI/CECP engine after the proof game. Eight difficulty levels exist for playable engines according to upstream feature notes.

Online later

FICS and ICC are optional. Timeseal and timestamp support are documented by upstream. This first run does not start with a commercial website signup.

First hour: installed. Windows: Windows. Switch: switch from online chess sites.

Rank Timber maps the first-run order so labs do not skip the proof. Upstream remains at pychess.github.io. Keep one installer door: releases.

If sounds are missing on Linux, upstream INSTALL mentions gstreamer packages. Treat that as documentation, not as a command we ran. Club desks should still prove a silent board before chasing audio.

Write the PGN folder beside the OS version. After a reimage, prove one short game again. That habit catches empty home directories and adware shortcuts from old bookmarks.

Slow down on purpose

People skip the proof game because they want variants, engines, and servers immediately. That skip is how a bad installer hides. One local game tells you the window works.

Sounds, animations, and pre-drag are comfort settings. They can wait. Board size can wait. Hint Mode can wait. The ticket can wait one minute until a pawn moves.

If the window is huge or tiny, resize it after the proof. Upstream documents a resizable board. Comfort is not the first-hour gate.

Who can stop early

Teachers can stop here and still have a demo. Coaches can continue to engines. Both groups should still write the installer door.

Related: installed, PGN and engines, update uninstall. Rank Timber maps the order. Upstream remains at pychess.github.io.

Keep website boards for rated pools if you want them. The first run of PyChess is still a local GTK proof, not a login form.

Shared-machine rhythm

Write the installer class on the ticket beside the OS version. After every reimage, take that same class from GitHub Releases, launch the GTK window, and replay one saved PGN. That three-step loop catches vanished packages and portal shortcuts that reappear from old bookmarks.

Keep engine binaries on a documented path. Keep the PGN folder off the package tree so uninstalls do not wipe club history. Keep website bookmarks if rated pools still matter, and keep them labelled as a different job.

Rank Timber publishes the install map. Upstream remains at pychess.github.io. Related doors stay under guides, releases, and installed.

Prove the GTK window before you add engines, servers, or a second installer. The proof is the gate.

  • One named GitHub asset
  • One local game
  • One PGN folder on the ticket

Frequently asked questions

What should I do first in this chess client?

Launch PyChess, start a local game or open a PGN, and make one move. Prove the board before you attach Stockfish, Hint Mode, FICS, or ICC. Write the installer door on the machine ticket so the next bump stays honest.

Does the first chess run need a website account?

No. A local game works without a website signup. Optional online servers come later. Keep Chess.com or Lichess bookmarks if you want live ratings, and keep PyChess for the desk job.

Does the chess client work offline after install?

After the first download, PyChess can play and analyze offline with the built-in engine and any engine already on disk. You still need network for the first MSI or .deb fetch, and for optional FICS or ICC later. A desk install does not require a website account before the first game.