Your move. Gator’s got your back.
This is the real thing, not a screenshot: play Maia, a human-like chess bot, right here. After each move, the gator tells you what he thinks of it. Go to the full board to time-travel through your moves and try different ideas.
Coach
I'm your coach. Play a move and I'll tell you what I think of it. Try 1. e4.
1100–1900
Maia Elo range
3,800+
openings to explore
0
sign-ups required
A human-like opponent
You play against Maia, a neural network trained on millions of human games. Pick a strength from Elo 1100 to 1900 and it makes the kinds of moves people actually make, not cold engine lines.
Coaching after every move
Stockfish runs after each of your moves. The coach classifies what you played, names the idea behind it, and can show a stronger line. Step back through the game tree and try a different move any time.
No account, nothing uploaded
There is no sign-up and no server-side analysis. Both engines run in your browser through WebAssembly. The first visit downloads about 30 MB; your games stay on this device.
What is Maia?
Maia is a neural-network chess engine trained on millions of human games. It is built to predict the move a player at a given rating would choose, not the objectively best move. That is why it feels like a person: familiar plans, realistic mistakes, and fewer computer-only traps.
The best-known way to play Maia is on Lichess. chessgator runs a browser build (Maia3) locally, with strengths from Elo 1100 to 1900, and adds a coach on top. Read how Maia plays, pick a beginner game, or open the board.
A coach, not just an engine
Most “play vs computer” pages put a strong engine across the board. Stockfish will crush you; the lesson is mostly that you lost. chessgator keeps Stockfish off the board. It runs after your move: it classifies what you played, names the idea, and can show a stronger continuation. You keep playing Maia.
You can step back through the game tree and try a different move without leaving the page. More on how the coach explains moves, plus openings and example games.
Compared with Chess.com and Lichess
Those sites are better if you want humans, puzzles, or a club. This one is for a human-like bot plus a local coach, with no sign-up.
Chess.com
Chess.com has personality bots, Game Review, lessons, and human opponents. You need an account, and the deeper coaching tools sit behind a subscription. Games and analysis live on their servers. It is a full platform, not a local coach.
Lichess
Lichess is free and open source. You can already play Maia bots there, and Stockfish analysis is available after a game. Guest play works; an account saves your history. Use Lichess to play other people, run studies, and solve puzzles.
chessgator
This site is narrower. Maia is the opponent. Stockfish coaches after every move, not only at the end. There is no account. Engines run in the browser. If you want humans, clubs, or a puzzle trainer, stay on Lichess or Chess.com.
Ready for a longer game?
The full board adds hints, takebacks, and strength settings. Anything you started up there comes with you.
Open the full boardHave questions? Read the FAQ.