Accessibility

VocalChess, a free iPhone app by Studio Marabel, lets you play a whole game against the computer by voice, and it says every reply aloud, so you don't need to see the board. A few things still need a tap or sight, such as starting the microphone and starting a new game, and this page lists them.

This page describes VocalChess 1.1 (October 2026).

Playing without seeing the board

• The app says the computer's moves in words, with the side: “Black, knight f6”.
• It says “Check.” after a checking move. When the game ends, it says the result, and who won if anyone did. If the computer's move ends the game, it says that move first.
• Moves are spoken as words, never symbols. Square letters are spoken clearly, so “a4” sounds like “ay four”.
• Read my moves back (in Settings) chooses when your own spoken moves are said back to you: Never, In Blindfold (the default) or Always.
• When the app isn't sure what it heard, it plays nothing and asks aloud, “Did you say …?”. Say “yes” to play it or “no” to drop it. Saying the move again doesn't play it, so say “yes”.
• Blindfold (the eye button) hides the pieces and leaves only the squares and coordinates. VoiceOver reads no pieces while it's on.
• The Announcements button mutes everything the app says.
• You can pick the announcer's voice from the English voices installed on your iPhone.

If you can't see the screen, set Read my moves back to Always. The default, In Blindfold, reads your moves only while the pieces are hidden. If you hear a move you didn't mean, say “undo”.

Playing without your hands

After one tap on the microphone, it keeps listening between moves, so you don't tap for each one. By voice you can:

• say moves, captures, castling and promotion
• answer “yes” or “no” when the app asks about a move
• say “undo” or “take back” to take back your last move and the computer's reply
• say “resign” to end the game, once you've made a move

The voice control guide lists every phrase.

The screen stays on during a game, because a locked phone stops the microphone. It can lock again once the game ends.

What still needs a tap or sight

• Starting needs a tap. Turning on the microphone needs a tap each time you open the app. With VoiceOver, it's the Start listening button. After that, it keeps listening.
• A new game needs taps. There is no voice command for it. You tap New game (the play button), pick a level and a side, then tap Start game. It remembers your last level and side, so after the first time it's two taps.
• The board isn't readable with VoiceOver. The buttons around it have VoiceOver labels, but the squares and pieces don't. Make your moves by voice, and listen for the computer's replies.
• You can't ask where a piece is or have the position read out. Keep it in your head, or step through the game with “back” and “forward” (silent today).
• You can't ask it to repeat the computer's last move. Listen as it plays, and turn the volume up if you miss replies.
• Some replies are only on screen. When the app can't make out a move, it shows “Say again” but doesn't say it. Messages like “Can't undo now” are also on screen only. If nothing happens after you speak, say the move again.
• Tapped moves aren't read back. Only moves you say are read back, and a tapped winning move isn't announced. Play by voice to hear every move.
• Unanswered questions drop silently. If you don't answer “Did you say …?” within about 5 seconds, the move is dropped without a word. Answer “yes” or “no” straight away, or say the move again.
• “No” isn't acknowledged aloud. The guess is dropped, but the app says nothing. Say the move again.
• Looking through the game is silent. “Back”, “forward”, “start” and “latest” change the board view only, and nothing is spoken. Say “latest” to return to the live game.
• Text doesn't grow with Larger Text. The app's text stays the same size whatever your iPhone's text size setting.

VocalChess plays the computer only; for online play with a screen reader, Lichess has a blind mode.

Motion

With Reduce Motion on, the voice meter's bars stay in place instead of scrolling, the menu appears without animating, and settings rows open without animating.

Tell us what you need

If something here gets in your way, or you need something we haven't listed, email support@studiomarabel.com. Tell us how you play and what stopped you. It shapes what we fix next.