Chess.com Hints Userscript

A powerful userscript that provides chess hints on chess.com with adjustable engine strength and customizable settings.

Features

• Adjustable Engine Strength: Set the engine ELO from 800 to 3200
• Real-time Hints: Get best move suggestions as you play
• Visual Highlights: See suggested moves highlighted on the board
• Position Evaluation: View the current position evaluation
• Customizable Settings: Adjust hint delay, display options, and more
• Persistent Settings: Your preferences are saved between sessions

Installation

Prerequisites

• A userscript manager extension (Tampermonkey, Greasemonkey, Violentmonkey, etc.)
• Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

Steps

1. Install a userscript manager:

   • Tampermonkey: Chrome | Firefox
   • Greasemonkey: Firefox
   • Violentmonkey: Chrome | Firefox

2. Install the userscript:

   • Copy the entire content of chess-hints-userscript.user.js
   • Open your userscript manager
   • Create a new script
   • Paste the code and save

3. Visit chess.com and start playing!

Usage

Basic Usage

1. Navigate to any chess.com game page
2. Look for the "Chess Hints Settings" panel in the top-right corner
3. Click "Enable" to start receiving hints
4. The engine will analyze the current position and show the best move

Settings Panel

Engine Strength (ELO)

• Range: 800 - 3200
• Default: 1500
• Lower ELO: Easier hints, more mistakes
• Higher ELO: Stronger hints, fewer mistakes

Hint Delay

• Range: 0 - 5000ms
• Default: 1000ms
• Controls how often the engine analyzes the position

Display Options

• Show Best Move: Highlight the suggested move on the board
• Show Evaluation: Display position evaluation (e.g., +1.5, M3)
• Show Move Number: Include move numbers in notation

Visual Indicators

• Yellow Highlight: Starting square of the suggested move
• Green Highlight: Target square of the suggested move
• Center Popup: Shows the move notation (e.g., "E2 → E4")

Technical Details

Dependencies

• Stockfish 15.1: Chess engine for analysis
• Chess.js: Chess logic and move validation
• CDN Sources: All dependencies are loaded from CDN for reliability

Browser Compatibility

• Chrome 80+
• Firefox 75+
• Safari 13+
• Edge 80+

Performance

• Engine analysis runs in a Web Worker to avoid blocking the UI
• Analysis depth is limited to 15 plies for reasonable performance
• Settings are cached locally for faster loading

Safety and Fair Play

⚠️ Important: This userscript is for educational and training purposes only.

• Do not use in rated games - This violates chess.com's terms of service
• Use responsibly - Only use for learning and practice
• Respect fair play - Don't use against other players without their knowledge

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Script doesn't load:

• Check that your userscript manager is enabled
• Verify the script is installed correctly
• Check browser console for errors

No hints appearing:

• Make sure hints are enabled in the settings panel
• Check that you're on a chess.com game page
• Try refreshing the page

Engine not responding:

• Check your internet connection (Stockfish is loaded from CDN)
• Try disabling and re-enabling hints
• Check browser console for error messages

Board position not detected:

• Make sure you're on an active game page
• Try moving a piece to trigger position detection
• The script may need a moment to initialize

Debug Mode

Open browser console (F12) to see debug messages and error information.

Customization

Modifying Default Settings

Edit the config object in the script to change default values:

const config = {
    defaultEngineElo: 1500,        // Default engine strength
    maxEngineElo: 3200,           // Maximum ELO setting
    minEngineElo: 800,            // Minimum ELO setting
    defaultHintDelay: 1000,       // Default analysis delay
    // ... other settings
};

Styling

The script includes comprehensive CSS styling. You can modify the GM_addStyle section to customize the appearance.

Contributing

Feel free to submit issues, feature requests, or pull requests to improve the script.

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

Disclaimer

This userscript is provided as-is for educational purposes. Use at your own risk and in accordance with chess.com's terms of service.