Q: How do I say a move?

Tap the microphone, then say the piece and the square: Pieces: “knight f3”, “bishop takes e5”, “knight b takes d2” Pawns: “e4”, “e takes d5” Castling: “castle” or “castle kingside”, “castle queenside” Promotion: “e8 promotes to queen” If VocalChess isn't sure what it heard, it asks “Did you say …?” and you answer yes or no. If nothing legal matches, it shows “Say again”. It's built not to play a move you didn't say; if one slips through, say “undo”. The guide to saying chess moves covers every kind of move.

Q: Which commands can I say?

“Undo” or “take back” takes back your last move and the computer's reply. “Yes” or “no” answers when VocalChess asks you to confirm a move. You can also tap your answer. “Back” , “forward” , “start” or “latest” steps through the game without changing it. “Resign” ends the game, once you've made a move. There's no voice command for a new game yet. See voice control for chess for how commands fit into a game.

Question 1

Is VocalChess free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. VocalChess is free, with no ads, no in-app purchases and no limit on moves or games. You don't need an account.

Question 2

How do I say a move?

Accepted Answer

Tap the microphone, then say the piece and the square:

Pieces: “knight f3”, “bishop takes e5”, “knight b takes d2”
Pawns: “e4”, “e takes d5”
Castling: “castle” or “castle kingside”, “castle queenside”
Promotion: “e8 promotes to queen”

If VocalChess isn't sure what it heard, it asks “Did you say …?” and you answer yes or no. If nothing legal matches, it shows “Say again”. It's built not to play a move you didn't say; if one slips through, say “undo”. The guide to saying chess moves covers every kind of move.

Question 3

Which commands can I say?

Accepted Answer

“Undo” or “take back” takes back your last move and the computer's reply.
“Yes” or “no” answers when VocalChess asks you to confirm a move. You can also tap your answer.
“Back”, “forward”, “start” or “latest” steps through the game without changing it.
“Resign” ends the game, once you've made a move.

There's no voice command for a new game yet. See voice control for chess for how commands fit into a game.

Question 4

Does VocalChess read my moves aloud?

Accepted Answer

VocalChess says the computer's replies aloud, such as “Black, knight f6”, unless you turn Announcements off. Your own moves are read back as the Read my moves back setting says: Never, In Blindfold or Always. The default is In Blindfold, which reads your moves only while the pieces are hidden. Find it under ☰ → Settings.

Question 5

Can I play by tapping instead?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tap a piece, then the square you want it on. You can mix taps and spoken moves in the same game, and tap to answer when VocalChess asks you to confirm a move.

Question 6

Can I play blindfold?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tap the eye to hide the pieces. The squares and coordinates stay, so you play from the position in your head. Tap the eye again to show the pieces. See how to play blindfold chess.

Question 7

How strong is the computer? Can I change the level?

Accepted Answer

You choose from six levels: Novice, Beginner, Casual, Club, Strong and Master. Casual is the default, and Master plays at full strength. Levels have names, not ratings. The level is set per game: tap the play button, pick a level and your side (White, Black or Random), then tap Start game to begin a new game at that level.

Question 8

If I close the app mid-game, is my game still there?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you close VocalChess mid-game, it opens to the same position and moves when you come back, with your settings as you left them.

Question 9

Which languages does VocalChess support?

Accepted Answer

English only. VocalChess hears moves in English and reads them aloud with one of the English voices on your iPhone.

Question 10

Does VocalChess record or upload my voice?

Accepted Answer

No. Speech recognition runs on your iPhone, and the App Store version of VocalChess records nothing you say and never sends it anywhere. See the privacy policy.

Question 11

What data does VocalChess collect?

Accepted Answer

The App Store version collects only anonymous usage counts, such as games played and errors the app hit, never what you say and nothing that identifies you. ☰ → Settings → Share usage stats turns them off. VocalChess has no account, no ads and no tracking, and your settings and the game you are playing stay on your iPhone. See the privacy policy.

Question 12

Does it need an internet connection?

Accepted Answer

Only once. The first time you play, iOS may download Apple's English speech model. After that, VocalChess works fully offline.

Question 13

What if the microphone doesn't work?

Accepted Answer

If you declined microphone access when VocalChess first asked, open Settings → Apps → VocalChess and turn on Microphone. You can keep playing by tapping pieces on the board in the meantime.

Question 14

Can blind or low-vision players use VocalChess?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for playing a game: you say your moves and VocalChess says every reply aloud, so you don't need to see the board. Starting the microphone and starting a new game still need a tap, and VoiceOver can't read the board yet. Set Read my moves back to Always to hear your own moves too. The accessibility page lists what works and what doesn't yet.

Question 15

What do I need to run VocalChess?

Accepted Answer

An iPhone on iOS 26.5 or later.

Question 16

Is there a web, iPad or Android version?

Accepted Answer

No. VocalChess was a web app until September 2026; it's now an iPhone app only.

Question 17

Can I play other people, or use it on chess.com or Lichess?

Accepted Answer

No. VocalChess plays only against the computer, on your iPhone. It doesn't connect to chess.com, Lichess or other players, and it isn't related to the “VocalChess” Chrome extension for Chess.com.