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How can I play Spell Chess?
How can I play Spell Chess?

This article will guide you through starting or creating a custom Spell Chess game on the Chess.com website.

Updated this week

Variants are only available on the Chess.com website and not on the mobile apps.

  • Hover over 'Play' in the left-side menu on any Chess.com page, then select '4 Player & Variants.'

  • From the menu on the right, choose 'Spell Chess:'

Variants page on Chess.com

  • To set your preferred time control, click the down arrow in the time control box to select or create a custom option.

Spell Chess on Chess.com

  • Once you've chosen your opponent and time control, click 'Play!' to start your game.


How to play a Custom Spell Chess game?

For a personalized game, click the 'Customize' button to adjust your settings:

Spell Chess Custom Challenge screen on Chess.com

Here are the available customization options:

Option

Details

Rating Range

If you want to play against a random user, use the drop-down menus to select the rating range of the player you'd like to be paired with.

Rated

Choose if you want to play a rated or unrated Spell Chess game.

Invite Players

By enabling this option, you can invite players to your game by clicking the green 'Invite Players' button. Assign a specific color to each player using the dropdown next to their name, or select 'Shuffle' to have colors assigned randomly:

Spell Chess 'Invite Friends' feature on Chess.com

You also have the option to invite one of our bots to fill a player spot. Additionally, you can exclude yourself from participating and let your invitees play the game.

Finally, choose whether to make your game public for others to watch or keep it private for a more personal experience.

Check out this article to learn more about Spell Chess: What is Spell Chess?

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