Zaychess Support
Zaychess is a local-first macOS chess app with hot-seat play, a built-in AI opponent (Serendipity engine), and online multiplayer through a relay matchmaking server. Save and load games as .chesslog files, then continue them against either a human player or the AI.
Key features
- Local hot-seat play with automatic board flipping, SAN move list, and captured piece tracking.
- Play vs Serendipity AI with adjustable difficulty and style-biased lower levels.
- Queue for online multiplayer through the relay server.
- Save and load .chesslog games, then continue the same position vs human or vs AI.
- Undo/redo support that handles AI turns correctly.
System requirements
macOS 12.0 or later.
Networking
Online multiplayer uses the relay matchmaking server for queueing and game session routing.
Data and privacy
- Data collection: No account, no tracking, no analytics; all data stored locally.
- Network use: Only for optional online multiplayer through the relay server.
- Privacy policy: jeremyzay.com/zaychess/privacy
Known issues
- No known relay multiplayer networking issues at this time.
- If matchmaking stalls, cancel and re-queue from the multiplayer screen.
- Very rarely, rapidly entering and leaving the multiplayer queue can desync the loading state; the next queue attempt may incorrectly match you to your own session. If this happens, return to the main menu, then re-enter multiplayer and queue again.
- Some Bluetooth audio devices may delay the first move sound after long silence.
Logs for support
- Development builds: zaychess.log in the app directory.
- Packaged app logs: check ~/Library/Logs/Zaychess/ (if present) or share a crash report from Console.app.
- If the issue is game-state related, include the affected .chesslog file if available.
Contact support
Use the form below and include your macOS version, Zaychess version, game mode (local/AI/multiplayer), and steps to reproduce.
Support URL: https://jeremyzay.com/zaychess/support