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• Fixed a crash when closing the app • The 3D board now stays visible if you change dark mode, language or navigation style during a game • Tablets: the background fills tall screens, and menus and achievement notifications stay clear of the system bars • Fixed the app icon on some tablets
Ancient Indian chess in full 3D. 3 rulesets, AI opponent, 15 languages.
THE GAME THAT INVENTED CHESS Before chess, there was Chaturanga. Played by kings and scholars in ancient India from around 500 AD, Chaturanga is the direct ancestor of every chess variant on earth. This app brings it back — historically authentic, faithfully researched, and fully playable on Android. Three distinct rulesets. One unbroken lineage. ANCIENT INDIAN CHATURANGA (c. 500–700 AD) The earliest recorded form, before Persian influence changed the game forever. No check warnings — your Raja can be captured outright. Stalemate is a victory for the stalemated player, not a draw. The Gaja (elephant) moves in the original Alfil style: two squares diagonally, jumping over any piece in between. Pure tactical warfare as the ancients intended. PERSIAN COURT CHATRANG (c. 600–800 AD) The Indo-Persian synthesis that emerged along the Silk Road under Sassanid court influence. "Shah!" warnings are introduced when the Raja is under attack. The Gaja gains new power under the Al-Biruni variant, moving one square diagonally or one square forward. Stalemate is civilized: it is a draw. This ruleset captures the cultural exchange that would eventually produce modern chess. SCHOLAR'S RECONSTRUCTION (Modern Historical) The best scholarly consensus for how Chaturanga should be played for modern audiences. Full checkmate rules for familiar game flow. The ideal starting point for players new to the game and the best choice for those who want historical authenticity with modern accessibility. A FULL 3D BOARD The board and every piece are rendered in real-time 3D. Turn the camera and look at the Gaja and the Ratha from any angle. Classic and Royal Ivory boards are free. The one-time Pro Unlock adds the Midnight, Emerald Court, and Sandstone boards. AI OPPONENT — 5 DIFFICULTY LEVELS From Novice (learning the basics) through Intermediate (solid tactics and positional sense) up to Master (deep calculation, near-perfect play). Each difficulty level uses a different search depth and time budget, producing genuinely different playing experiences. The AI applies historically appropriate strategic personalities per ruleset — not just a generic chess engine. PASS & PLAY Play against a friend on the same device. Pass the phone between turns and enjoy a two-player game anywhere, no internet required. INTERACTIVE TUTORIAL SYSTEM Three full tutorial tracks, one per ruleset: - Scholar's Track: 5-part interactive course covering Basics, Pieces, Movement, Victory Conditions, and Practice positions - Ancient Indian Track: Overview of the ruleset and practice puzzles highlighting its unique rules - Persian Court Track: Overview plus practice highlighting Shah! warnings and the enhanced Gaja AUTHENTIC PIECE NAMES AND CULTURAL CONTEXT All pieces use their authentic Sanskrit names with pronunciation guidance: Raja (King), Mantri (Minister/Counselor), Ratha (Chariot), Ashva (Horse), Gaja/Hasti (Elephant), Padati (Foot-soldier) Each name connects to the original military division it represented in ancient Indian armies — the four divisions of the Chaturanga itself. 15 LANGUAGES English, हिंदी (Hindi), বাংলা (Bengali), தமிழ் (Tamil), తెలుగు (Telugu), संस्कृत (Sanskrit), فارسی (Persian/Farsi), العربية (Arabic), 简体中文 (Simplified Chinese), 繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese), Español (Spanish), Français (French), Русский (Russian), Português (Portuguese), 日本語 (Japanese) Full right-to-left layout support for Arabic and Persian. WHO IS THIS FOR? Chess players curious about where the game came from, readers drawn to ancient India and Persia, board gamers who want a different challenge, and teachers covering the Silk Road. NO INTERNET REQUIRED All gameplay is fully offline. The AI, tutorials, and all three rulesets work without a network connection. FREE TO PLAY. Every ruleset, AI level, tutorial, and Pass & Play is free. Ads support ongoing development. The one-time Pro Unlock removes all ads and adds three premium boards. CHATURANGA — chess history, made playable.