# BlockChess<\/p>\n
BlockChess is a Minecraft plugin that brings competitive chess to your server. Play against other players, challenge the AI, or join the matchmaking queue for ELO-rated matches\u2014all within an intuitive inventory-based GUI.
\n> **It is highly recommended to use the custom resource pack that comes up with the plugin**
\n_I’m not a graphic, i’ve tried my best to create a simple GUI texture to make chess matches more enjoyable, if you don’t like the current GUI’s you are free to make your own!_
\n– Link to the resource pack, drag and drop ready for Nexo.<\/p>\n
## Features<\/p>\n
### Game Modes
\n– **Player vs. Player:** Challenge players directly via invitations.
\n– **Matchmaking System:** Join the queue for automatic ELO-based pairing with balanced opponents
\n– **Player vs. Bot:** Face off against Fairy-Stockfish AI with 12 adjustable difficulty levels (200-3000+ ELO)<\/p>\n
### ELO Rating System
\n– **Dynamic Rating:** Earn or lose rating based on match results and opponent strength
\n– **Player Titles:** Unlock prestigious titles as you improve:
\n – **SGM** (Super Grandmaster) – 2600+ ELO
\n – **GM** (Grandmaster) – 2500+ ELO
\n – **IM** (International Master) – 2400+ ELO
\n – **NM** (National Master) – 2200+ ELO
\n – **EXPERT** – 2000+ ELO
\n– **Statistics Tracking:** View detailed stats including games played, wins, losses, draws, and current rating<\/p>\n
### Gameplay Features
\n– **Intuitive GUI:** Click-based interface with visual chessboard in inventory
\n– **Real-Time Updates:** Instant move synchronization between players
\n– **Full Chess Rules:** Complete implementation including castling, en passant, and pawn promotion
\n– **Draw Offers:** Request and accept\/decline draws during matches
\n– **Surrender Option:** Resign from matches when needed
\n– **Auto-Save Inventory:** Player inventories are saved and restored after matches<\/p>\n
### Matchmaking
\n– **Smart Pairing:** Automatically matches players with similar ELO ratings
\n– **Dynamic Range:** Search range expands over time to ensure matches are found<\/p>\n
## Installation<\/p>\n
1. **Download:** Get the latest version of BlockChess from the project’s releases page.
\n2. **Install:** Place the downloaded `.jar` file into your server’s `plugins` directory.
\n3. **Stockfish:** Download the appropriate Fairy-Stockfish executable for your server’s operating system from the Fairy-Stockfish releases page.
\n4. **Configure:** Place the Stockfish executable in the `plugins\/BlockChess` directory and ensure the `engine.path` in the `config.yml` file is set correctly.
\n5. **Restart:** Restart your server to enable the plugin.<\/p>\n
## Usage<\/p>\n
### Commands<\/p>\n
**General Commands:** **Player vs Player:** **Matchmaking:** **Player vs Bot:** **Admin Commands:** ## API Reference<\/p>\n BlockChess does not currently expose a public API for other plugins to use.<\/p>\n ## Configuration<\/p>\n The `config.yml` file allows you to configure the following options:<\/p>\n – `resourcepack.enabled` – (Default: `true`) Enable or disable the custom resource pack for chess pieces ## Permissions<\/p>\n BlockChess includes a comprehensive permission system:<\/p>\n **Player Permissions (default: true):** **Admin Permissions (default: op):** ## Engine Communication<\/p>\n BlockChess communicates with the chess engine using the Universal Chess Interface (UCI) protocol. This allows the plugin to be compatible with any UCI-compliant chess engine, including the recommended Fairy-Stockfish.<\/p>\n ### Engine Strength<\/p>\n The bot’s strength can be set from level 1 to 12. The simulation of strength is achieved through a combination of UCI parameters, including ELO rating and move time limits.<\/p>\n For levels 1 through 4, the engine’s thinking time is artificially limited to simulate a weaker opponent:<\/p>\n – **Level 1:** 50ms per move For levels 5 and above, the engine uses the standard game timers (`wtime` and `btime`) to manage its thinking time, resulting in stronger play.<\/p>\n Additionally, for levels 1 through 11, the engine’s strength is limited by setting the `UCI_LimitStrength` option to `true` and providing a specific ELO value. For level 12, `UCI_LimitStrength` is set to `false`, allowing the engine to play at its maximum potential.<\/p>\n Here is a breakdown of the ELO rating for each level:<\/p>\n | Level | ELO Rating | Minecraft GUI based Chess Plugin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":32260,"template":"","meta":{"_minecraft_slug":"blockchess","_minecraft_project_id":"SmzGlMAr","_minecraft_author":"EtherealLabs","_minecraft_license":"GPL-3.0-only","_minecraft_downloads":31,"_minecraft_follows":1,"_minecraft_client_side":"unsupported","_minecraft_server_side":"required","_minecraft_storage_type":"zip","_minecraft_archive_name":"blockchess.zip","_minecraft_size_bytes":1950736,"_minecraft_version_count":2,"_minecraft_updated_at":"2026-05-15T22:02:46.247125Z","_minecraft_date_created":"2025-11-25T03:01:05.993614Z","_minecraft_date_modified":"2025-11-23T10:15:50.422912Z","_minecraft_project_url":"https:\/\/modrinth.com\/mod\/blockchess","_minecraft_icon_attachment_id":32260,"_minecraft_imported_at":"2026-06-01T14:38:42+00:00","_minecraft_import_hash":"f3bc5b8aeb35fe86d730afdbfdccc50a","_minecraft_versions":"","_minecraft_links":"","_minecraft_gallery":"","_minecraft_api_metadata":""},"mod_category":[127,129],"mod_loader":[132,134],"minecraft_version":[62,37,40,73,74,38,78,79,80,81,82],"class_list":["post-32259","mod","type-mod","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","mod_category-paper","mod_category-spigot","mod_loader-paper","mod_loader-spigot","minecraft_version-1-21","minecraft_version-1-21-1","minecraft_version-1-21-10","minecraft_version-1-21-2","minecraft_version-1-21-3","minecraft_version-1-21-4","minecraft_version-1-21-5","minecraft_version-1-21-6","minecraft_version-1-21-7","minecraft_version-1-21-8","minecraft_version-1-21-9"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n– `\/chess` – Open the main chess menu GUI
\n– `\/chess info
\n– `\/chess invite
\n– `\/chess accept
\n– `\/chess decline
\n– `\/chess leavequeue` – Leave the matchmaking queue<\/p>\n
\n– `\/chess bot <1-12>` – Start a match against the AI (difficulty 1-12)<\/p>\n
\n– `\/chess admin elo set
\n– `\/chess admin elo add
\n– `\/chess admin elo remove
\n– `engine.path` – (Default: `plugins\/BlockChess\/stockfish.exe`) Path to the Fairy-Stockfish executable
\n– `bot_gamemode.enabled` – (Default: `true`) Enable or disable the bot gamemode feature<\/p>\n
\n– `blockchess.use` – Open the main chess GUI
\n– `blockchess.info` – View player statistics
\n– `blockchess.invite` – Invite players to matches
\n– `blockchess.accept` – Accept match invitations
\n– `blockchess.decline` – Decline match invitations
\n– `blockchess.bot` – Play against the AI
\n– `blockchess.leavequeue` – Leave matchmaking queue<\/p>\n
\n– `blockchess.admin` – Access to all admin commands
\n– `blockchess.admin.elo.set` – Set player ELO ratings
\n– `blockchess.admin.elo.add` – Add ELO to players
\n– `blockchess.admin.elo.remove` – Remove ELO from players
\n– `blockchess.*` – All BlockChess permissions<\/p>\n
\n– **Level 2:** 100ms per move
\n– **Level 3:** 150ms per move
\n– **Level 4:** 200ms per move<\/p>\n
\n|——-|————|
\n| 1 | 200 |
\n| 2 | 500 |
\n| 3 | 820 |
\n| 4 | 1060 |
\n| 5 | 1350 |
\n| 6 | 1600 |
\n| 7 | 1900 |
\n| 8 | 2200 |
\n| 9 | 2500 |
\n| 10 | 2800 |
\n| 11 | 3050 |
\n| 12 | Max |<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"