Deploy Chess
Chess with a twist
Free · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
Chess with a twist: deploy your pieces, then fight. Real-time. Ranked.
Deploy Chess is chess — reimagined from move zero.
Every game begins not with a fixed starting position, but with a deployment phase. You and your opponent receive an identical, randomly generated set of pieces. One by one, in alternating turns, you place them on your half of the board — watching each other in real time. Once both kings are down, the battle begins.
No two games start the same. Opening theory is obsolete. The fight starts before the first move.
TWO PHASES. ONE CLOCK.
▸ DEPLOY — Place 8 to 16 pieces across your back two ranks. Bishops on opposite colors. King last. The clock is already ticking.
▸ BATTLE — Standard chess from the position you built. Same clock, no reset. Every second you spent deploying is a second you don't have to attack.
TWO RATINGS. BOTH MATTER.
We track your skill in both phases separately:
▸ DEPLOYMENT ELO — Updated after every game using Stockfish evaluation of your starting position. Did you build a better army than your opponent?
▸ BATTLE ELO — Classic chess rating based on game outcome.
Glicko-2 under the hood. Real ratings, real progression.
GAME MODES
▸ RANKED — Matchmaking pairs you with opponents of similar combined skill. Both Elos update.
▸ VS FRIEND — Generate a 6-character code, send it anywhere. Choose random or custom piece sets. Pick your time control.
TIME CONTROLS
▸ Blitz — 3 min + 2 sec increment
▸ Rapid — 10 min, no increment
BUILT FOR SERIOUS PLAY
▸ Server-authoritative clock — no client-side cheating
▸ Real-time deployment — see every piece your opponent places, the instant they place it
▸ Full game replay — step through deployment and battle move by move
▸ Resign, draw offers, rematches with the same pieces
▸ Reconnect mid-game — your match state is preserved
FIELD MANUAL AESTHETIC
Amber on graphite. Mono numerals. Sharp edges. Classified labels. Deploy Chess looks like a tactical briefing — because that's what every game is.
FREE. NO ADS DURING GAMES. NO PAY-TO-WIN.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
The developer, Software KiT SRL, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
- Contact Info
- Identifiers
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
- Contact Info
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Software Kit SRL
- Size
- 72.5 MB
- Category
- Board
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 16.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 16.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 16.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2026 Software Kit Srl
