Usage Guide
Master the features of Chess Analyzer Pro.
Loading Games
All game ingestion is now handled through a single Unified Load Game Dialog. Click the Load Game button in the sidebar (or press Ctrl+O) to open it.
The dialog runs queries asynchronously in the background so the user interface never freezes. If a query yields multiple games, an inline selection list will appear displaying metadata for each game (date, time control type, result, move count, and player ratings).
Choose one of the four tabs:
1. PGN File
Import local game files (.pgn) by either dragging and dropping the file directly into the drop zone or clicking the browse area to open a file explorer.
2. PGN Text
Paste raw PGN text directly from your clipboard into the input field and click Parse PGN.
3. Chess.com
Import your Chess.com games. You can:
- Enter a Username: Fetches recent games (with a configurable limit up to 30, customizable in Settings).
- Enter a Game URL: Paste a direct link (e.g.
https://www.chess.com/game/live/123456789) to fetch a single game.
4. Lichess
Import your Lichess.org games. You can:
- Enter a Username: Fetches recent games (with a configurable limit, customizable in Settings).
- Enter a Game URL: Paste a direct link (e.g.
https://lichess.org/AbCdEfGh) to fetch a single game.
Note: Opening book lookups are authenticated using your Lichess API Token configured in Settings to prevent rate-limiting. This token is also used by the standalone Opening Explorer (see below).
Analysis Features
Once a game is loaded, the Stockfish engine is ready to analyze.
Start Analysis
Click the Analyze Game button in the sidebar. The engine will evaluate every move, calculating:
- Win probabilities
- Best lines for each position
- Move accuracy scores
- Move classifications
A progress bar shows the current analysis status.
Once analysis is complete, right-click any move and select Explore from here to open the standalone Opening Explorer at that position.
Navigation
- Arrow Keys: Navigate move-by-move (Left/Right for previous/next).
- Home/End: Jump to the first/last move.
- Evaluation Graph: Click any point on the graph to jump to that moment.
- Move List: Click a move to view the board state.
Move Classification
Moves are color-coded based on their quality. In the PyQt6 desktop app, these classifications are rendered using custom hexagonal icons. Time controls also feature specialized icons (e.g. for Bullet, Blitz, Rapid, Classical, and Chess960).
| Icon | Classification | Description | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| š | Brilliant | Exceptional, often sacrificial play | Cyan |
| ā | Great | The only good move in a critical position | Teal |
| ā | Best | Matches the engine's top recommendation | Green |
| ā | Excellent | Very strong move, minimal accuracy loss | Light Green |
| ā | Good | Solid move, small accuracy loss | Yellow-Green |
| ?! | Inaccuracy | A suboptimal move, but not serious | Yellow |
| ? | Mistake | A significant error affecting the evaluation | Orange |
| ?? | Blunder | A critical error that likely loses the game | Red |
| ā | Miss | Missed a winning opportunity or forced mate | Purple |
| š | Book | An opening book move (theory) | Blue |
Analysis Lines
When viewing a position after analysis, the right panel shows:
- Top 3 engine lines with evaluations
- Move sequence for each variation
- Centipawn/Mate scores for each line
Opening Explorer
[!NOTE] Requires a Lichess API Token (configured in Settings ā API Configuration).
The Opening Explorer (v2.1.0+) is a standalone panel for exploring chess positions independently of your loaded game. Access it by right-clicking any move in the main analysis and selecting Explore from here, or open it directly from the sidebar.
What You Can Do
- Book Moves Panel: Displays the most popular continuations from Lichess's opening database, including move, frequency, win/draw/loss rates, and average opponent rating.
- Live Engine Analysis: The Stockfish engine runs alongside the book panel, showing top lines with evaluations and Multi-PV support.
- Move Classification: Every move you try is classified (Best, Excellent, Inaccuracy, etc.) just like the main analysis.
- Independent Board: The Explorer has its own board ā navigating moves doesn't affect your loaded game.
- Polyglot Books: If you've configured a Polyglot
.binopening book in Settings ā Book Settings, book moves from that file are shown alongside Lichess data.
AI Game Summary
[!IMPORTANT] Requirement: Valid Groq API Key in Settings.
After analysis completes:
- Click the AI Summary button or tab (Robot Icon).
- Wait for Groq to generate the summary.
- The AI provides:
- A Game Comment (e.g., "Tactical Masterpiece", "Chaotic Fight")
- A Narrative Summary highlighting key turning points and critical moments
Statistics Dashboard
The Stats tab provides comprehensive insights into your chess performance across all analyzed games.
Overview Metrics
- Total Games: Number of games analyzed
- Win Rate: Percentage of games won
- Average Accuracy: Mean accuracy across all games
- Most Played Opening: Your most frequent opening
Performance Charts
| Chart | Description |
|---|---|
| Results Donut | Win/Loss/Draw distribution |
| Termination Donut | How games ended (Checkmate, Resignation, Time, etc.) |
| Accuracy Trend | Line chart showing accuracy over recent games |
| Performance by Color | Win rates when playing as White vs Black |
Openings Analysis
View your most played openings with:
- Frequency count
- Win rate for each opening
- Visual bar representation
AI Coach Insights
[!NOTE] Requires Groq API key.
Click Refresh Insights to generate personalized coaching tips based on your statistics. The AI analyzes your patterns and provides 3 actionable suggestions.
Game History
The History tab keeps a log of all analyzed games.
Features
- Browse & Pagination: See all saved games with date, players, result, and source icon. The list is paginated to load games in chunks, ensuring fast loading even with thousands of games.
- Reload: Double-click a game to reload it instantly from the SQLite cache database.
- Delete: Delete individual games from the history list to manage your library.
- Search: Filter games by player name or opening.
Source Icons
| Icon | Source |
|---|---|
| š | Chess.com |
| ā | Lichess |
| š | PGN File |
Data Backup
Export History to CSV
- Go to the History tab.
- Click Export (or use the menu).
- Choose a save location.
- All game metadata and statistics are saved to
games.csv.
Import History from CSV
- Go to the History tab.
- Click Import.
- Select your previously exported
games.csv. - Games are restored (duplicates are automatically skipped).
Auto-Update
[!NOTE] Available only in packaged builds (Windows installer, macOS DMG, Linux AppImage). Not applicable when running from source.
Starting with v2.1.0, Chess Analyzer Pro checks for updates once per day on launch. When a new version is found:
- A notification dialog appears with the latest changelog.
- Click Download to open your browser at the releases page.
- Download the installer for your platform and run it ā your settings and game history are preserved across updates.
To check for updates manually, go to Help ā Check for Updates in the menu bar.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
ā (Left Arrow) | Previous move |
ā (Right Arrow) | Next move |
Home | First move (start position) |
End | Last move (final position) |
F | Flip board orientation |
Ctrl+O | Open PGN file |
Ctrl+A | Start analysis |
Tips & Tricks
- Quick Analysis: Right-click the Analyze button for options like "Analyze from current position".
- Hover for Details: Hover over the evaluation graph to see exact values at each move.
- Classification Filter: Click on a classification icon in the move list to jump to the next occurrence.
- Save Usernames: Configure your usernames in Settings for faster game loading and personalized stats.