chess/docs

HTML Chess Game - Complete Planning Documentation

📋 Project Overview

A browser-based chess game built with vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This project demonstrates clean architecture, modular design, and comprehensive chess rule implementation without any external dependencies.

🎯 Objectives

• Zero Dependencies: Pure HTML/CSS/JavaScript implementation
• Complete Chess Rules: All standard chess rules including special moves
• Clean Architecture: Modular, maintainable, testable code
• Professional Quality: Production-ready code with comprehensive testing
• Educational Value: Well-documented code suitable for learning

✨ Features

Core Gameplay

• ♟️ Full chess rule implementation (pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, queens, kings)
• 🎮 Interactive drag-and-drop piece movement
• 👁️ Move validation and legal move highlighting
• ✅ Check, checkmate, and stalemate detection
• 🔄 Turn-based gameplay with move history

Special Moves

• 🏰 Castling (kingside and queenside)
• 🎯 En passant capture
• 👑 Pawn promotion with piece selection

Game Management

• 📝 Move history with algebraic notation
• ⏮️ Undo/redo functionality
• 💾 Game state persistence (localStorage)
• 🔄 New game and reset options
• 🏆 Win/draw/resign conditions

User Interface

• 🎨 Beautiful, responsive chess board
• 🖱️ Intuitive drag-and-drop interaction
• 💡 Visual feedback for legal moves
• 📊 Game status display
• 🎯 Captured pieces display
• ⏱️ Optional timer support

🏗️ Technology Stack

• HTML5: Semantic markup, drag-and-drop API
• CSS3: Grid layout, animations, responsive design
• JavaScript (ES6+): Modules, classes, async/await
• No frameworks or libraries: Pure vanilla implementation

📚 Documentation Structure

This documentation package includes:

1. README.md (this file) - Project overview and quick start
2. IMPLEMENTATION_GUIDE.md - Step-by-step implementation handbook
3. API_REFERENCE.md - Complete API documentation
4. CHESS_RULES.md - Chess rules and logic reference
5. DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md - Development workflow and best practices
6. HANDOFF_CHECKLIST.md - Implementation checklist and timeline
7. diagrams/ - Architecture and flow diagrams

🚀 Quick Start

For Implementation Team

1. Read the handoff checklist → HANDOFF_CHECKLIST.md
2. Follow the implementation guide → IMPLEMENTATION_GUIDE.md
3. Reference API docs as needed → API_REFERENCE.md
4. Consult chess rules → CHESS_RULES.md

For Reviewers

1. Review architecture diagrams in diagrams/
2. Check API specifications in API_REFERENCE.md
3. Validate against requirements in HANDOFF_CHECKLIST.md

For End Users (After Implementation)

1. Open index.html in a modern browser
2. Start playing chess immediately
3. Use drag-and-drop to move pieces
4. Click pieces to see legal moves

📁 Project Structure

chess-game/
├── index.html              # Main HTML file
├── css/
│   ├── board.css          # Chess board styling
│   ├── pieces.css         # Piece styling
│   └── ui.css             # UI components
├── js/
│   ├── main.js            # Application entry point
│   ├── game/
│   │   ├── ChessGame.js   # Game controller
│   │   ├── Board.js       # Board state management
│   │   └── GameState.js   # Game state and history
│   ├── pieces/
│   │   ├── Piece.js       # Base piece class
│   │   ├── Pawn.js        # Pawn logic
│   │   ├── Knight.js      # Knight logic
│   │   ├── Bishop.js      # Bishop logic
│   │   ├── Rook.js        # Rook logic
│   │   ├── Queen.js       # Queen logic
│   │   └── King.js        # King logic
│   ├── moves/
│   │   ├── MoveValidator.js    # Move validation
│   │   ├── MoveGenerator.js    # Legal move generation
│   │   └── SpecialMoves.js     # Castling, en passant, promotion
│   ├── ui/
│   │   ├── BoardRenderer.js    # Board rendering
│   │   ├── DragDropHandler.js  # Drag-and-drop
│   │   └── UIController.js     # UI state management
│   └── utils/
│       ├── notation.js         # Chess notation (PGN, FEN)
│       ├── storage.js          # localStorage wrapper
│       └── helpers.js          # Utility functions
├── assets/
│   └── pieces/            # Piece images (SVG)
├── tests/
│   ├── unit/              # Unit tests
│   └── integration/       # Integration tests
└── docs/                  # This documentation

🎯 Success Criteria

Functional Requirements

• ✅ All chess pieces move according to official rules
• ✅ All special moves work correctly (castling, en passant, promotion)
• ✅ Check and checkmate detection is accurate
• ✅ Game can be saved and restored
• ✅ Move history is properly tracked

Non-Functional Requirements

• ✅ Code is modular and maintainable
• ✅ No external dependencies
• ✅ Works in all modern browsers
• ✅ Responsive design for different screen sizes
• ✅ 80%+ test coverage

User Experience

• ✅ Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
• ✅ Clear visual feedback for legal moves
• ✅ Responsive and smooth animations
• ✅ Accessible keyboard navigation
• ✅ Clear game state indicators

🔧 Development Setup

Prerequisites

• Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• Text editor or IDE
• Optional: Local web server for testing

Running Locally

# Option 1: Simple file-based access
# Just open index.html in your browser

# Option 2: Using Python's built-in server
python -m http.server 8000

# Option 3: Using Node.js http-server
npx http-server -p 8000

# Then open http://localhost:8000 in your browser

🧪 Testing

Manual Testing

1. Test each piece type individually
2. Verify special moves (castling, en passant, promotion)
3. Test check and checkmate scenarios
4. Verify UI interactions (drag-drop, click)
5. Test game save/load functionality

Automated Testing

# Run all tests
npm test

# Run specific test suites
npm test -- --grep "MoveValidator"
npm test -- --grep "Piece"

# Generate coverage report
npm run test:coverage

📈 Project Timeline

• Phase 1: Core architecture and board (Week 1)
• Phase 2: Piece movement and validation (Week 2)
• Phase 3: Special moves and game logic (Week 3)
• Phase 4: UI polish and testing (Week 4)
• Phase 5: Documentation and deployment (Week 5)

See HANDOFF_CHECKLIST.md for detailed timeline.

🤝 Contributing

Code Style

• Use ES6+ features (classes, modules, arrow functions)
• Follow consistent naming conventions
• Add JSDoc comments for all public methods
• Keep functions small and focused
• Write tests for new features

Commit Guidelines

• Use descriptive commit messages
• Reference issue numbers
• Keep commits atomic
• Run tests before committing

📞 Support

Questions?

• Check the IMPLEMENTATION_GUIDE.md
• Review API_REFERENCE.md
• Consult DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md

Issues?

• Check common pitfalls in implementation guide
• Review test cases for examples
• Consult chess rules reference

📄 License

This is a planning document for an educational chess game implementation.

🙏 Acknowledgments

This comprehensive planning documentation was created to ensure a smooth handoff to the implementation team. Every detail has been thought through to minimize ambiguity and maximize success.

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Ready to implement? Start with HANDOFF_CHECKLIST.md → IMPLEMENTATION_GUIDE.md