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Chess: Emperor Napoleon

Chess: Waterloo on the Board

Free to start: a 50-stage chess campaign set in the Napoleonic Wars.

The game is not distributed from this site. Get the app from the links under “Get the app”.

Get the app

  • App Store
  • Google Play

See it in motion

A short look at a campaign battle on the board.

  • App Store
  • Google Play

Screens

  • App screen: 80 days to Waterloo — Each battle costs 1–3 days
  • App screen: Legal moves marked — The AI thinks on your device
  • App screen: 5 campaigns, 50 battles — March all the way to Waterloo
  • App screen: Auto-matched online play — Ratings rise and fall

What this chess app does

  • Thinks on your device

    The AI works out its moves entirely on your device. In airplane mode, or with no signal at all, you can still finish the game.

  • Fifty stages of campaign

    One road from Italy to Waterloo across five campaigns. Every stage brings a new opponent; win and you march on.

  • Strength that rises in steps

    The first opponents can be beaten by someone who has only just learned how the pieces move. Later ones read further ahead.

  • A look back after the game

    Replay the game you just finished and read, in words, which move was the turning point and what was happening there.

  • A measure of your play

    Opening, middlegame, endgame and accuracy are drawn as a shape, so you can see where your play leans. It shifts as games accumulate. It opens with a one-time in-app purchase — the same one that removes the ads.

  • Every game is recorded

    Games are kept in standard notation (PGN / SAN) so you can replay them later, and export a copy of your own.

Five campaigns

It begins in Italy and ends at Waterloo.

  • Italy and Egypt
  • Austria and Prussia
  • Poland and Russia
  • The Spanish campaign
  • The Waterloo campaign

Column

Short reads on chess rules, how to think about the game and how to get better.

Frequently asked questions

Does it cost anything?

You can start playing for free. Ads are shown while you play for free, and a one-time purchase removes them; the same purchase also opens the measure of your play and the AI coach’s advice. Avatars and board designs are sold separately, each as a one-time purchase.

Can I play without a connection?

Yes. Games against the computer run entirely on your device. Only a few features that ask a server, such as the post-game commentary and "The opponent’s thoughts" during play, and matches against people need a connection.

Can I play against other people?

Yes. Online random matchmaking pairs you one on one with someone close to your rating. Your opponent and the leaderboard see only the display name you set in your profile (or, if you have not set one, the automatically assigned name) and your rating — never your real name or contact details. Matches against people need a connection and put a time limit on each move. Games against the computer still need no connection at all.

Can I play if I do not know the rules of chess?

The first stages can be won by anyone who knows how the pieces move, and you can ask for advice when a move is not obvious.

Which devices can I play on?

It is an app for iOS and Android. It cannot be played in a browser. The stores you can get it from right now are listed under “Get the app”.

How do I delete my data?

Match records, skill estimates and settings can all be deleted from inside the app. The steps are on the "Account and Data Deletion" page.