Pre-moving is when you make your move before your opponent takes their turn, commonly used in fast-paced games like Bullet and Blitz.
When pre-moves are enabled, you can make a move during your opponent's turn that will automatically be played as soon as it's your turn. Simply move the piece as if it were your turn, and the move will be highlighted in red on the board:
In the above picture, Black's move, d5, is highlighted in yellow. Black then made a pre-move, which is highlighted in red, Nc6. The knight move isn't on the board yet but will play automatically as soon as White moves, no matter what White does! For example, if White captures the pawn with exd5, Nc6 would be a very bad move!
Guidelines
Guideline | Details |
Automatic Play
| The pre-move will automatically play even if your opponent makes an unexpected move, which could result in a blunder. |
Undoing a Pre-Move | To undo a pre-move, simply right-click or tap on the pre-moved piece. |
Timing | Pre-moves are executed almost instantly, using only 0.1 seconds of your remaining time. |
Illegal Pre-Moves | If your opponent's move makes your pre-move illegal, such as putting your king in check, your pre-move will be canceled, and you'll need to make a different move. |
Multiple Pre-Moves | You can make up to five pre-moves during your opponent's turn. They will be played in the order you made them, subject to the limitations described above. |
How to enable pre-moves
Web
Hover over 'Settings' in the left-hand menu and click on 'All Settings.'
Click 'Live Chess' from the Settings menu.
Toggle 'Enable Premoves:'
Mobile
Pre-moves are currently limited to one pre-move at a time on the iOS app.
To enable pre-moves on the app go to Home in the bottom menu and tap 'Settings.'
Tap 'Play' and select 'Live Chess.'
Toggle 'Enable Premoves:'
On the Android app, you can set single or multiple pre-moves:
