Scoring, progress rules & disclaimer
Last updated: 13 October 2026
How answers are scored, how levels unlock, and the terms on which Dzeal Chess is offered.
1. Passing a tier
Each level has three tiers. A tier is passed when enough of your last 10 answers on that tier are correct:
| Tier | Pass mark | Badge |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 7 of the last 10 | 🥉 Bronze |
| Medium | 8 of the last 10 | 🥈 Silver |
| Expert | 9 of the last 10 | 🥇 Gold |
- You need at least 10 answers on a tier before it can be passed.
- Retries count. A question you got wrong comes back once and its answer counts like any other. The original miss also stays in your last 10.
- Answers given after using a hint count normally.
- On timed questions (Level 2 Expert, 15 seconds) running out of time counts as a wrong answer.
- For “name all” questions, every correct item must be listed and nothing wrong added.
- Once passed, a tier stays passed. You can keep practising it without risk.
2. How levels unlock (paths)
- Passing a level on a tier opens the next level on the same tier.
- Medium on a level also needs that level's Easy; Expert also needs its Medium.
Example: Level 2 Medium needs Level 2 Easy and Level 1 Medium. - Expert is never required to move forward. Your goal only changes what we suggest.
3. Placement test
12 questions in three sections of 4 (vocabulary, squares, moves). For each section, in order: 4 of 4 correct passes Easy, Medium and Expert of that level; 3 of 4 passes Easy and Medium. The test stops counting at the first section with fewer than 3 correct. No badges are awarded for placement.
4. Level 4 (Best move) scoring
Each puzzle position was analysed once by Stockfish, which stored its top 5 moves and their evaluations. Your move is graded against them:
| Result | When | Counts as | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Best | The puzzle's solution, or a move the engine rates exactly as highly | Correct | +3 |
| ✓ Good | In the top 5 and close to the best: within 1.5 pawns (Easy), 0.8 (Medium) or 0.3 (Expert). When a mate is available, the move must also mate (Expert: at most one move slower) | Correct | +1 |
| ✗ Not good enough | Any other legal move | Wrong | 0 |
| ✗✗ Blunder | A move that turns a good or equal position into a lost one, e.g. one that allows mate in one | Wrong | −2 |
Passing a tier still uses the last-10 rule above (Best and Good count as correct). Points are a running total per tier, shown above the board; they are for fun and have no cash value. Evaluations are from your side: “+1.5” means you are ahead by about a pawn and a half.
4a. Accepted answers
- Words: capital letters, extra spaces and hyphens don't matter (“touch move” = “Touch-move”). Common alternative names are accepted.
- Moves: standard algebraic notation, with or without
+/#;0-0forO-O; promotion with or without=; and from–to squares (g1f3). See How to play. - Moves are checked by a chess rules engine for the exact position shown, including castling rights, en passant and pins.
5. Hint tokens and badges
- You start with 3 hint tokens and earn 1 for every 10 correct answers in a row (on any level). One hint costs one token.
- Hint tokens and badges have no cash value, cannot be exchanged for money and cannot be transferred.
- Badges show learning progress inside Dzeal Chess only. They are not a chess rating, title or certificate.
- We may change how tokens are earned or used; tokens you already hold will not be removed because of such a change.
6. Your progress
- As a guest, progress is saved on your device only. Clearing browser data or changing device loses it.
- When signed in, progress syncs to your account. If guest and account progress differ, the copy with more answers is kept.
- Settings → Reset all progress clears levels, badges, tokens and question history. This cannot be undone.
7. Fair play
Please don't use chess engines or other people to answer for you. It only cheats your own learning. We may reset progress that is clearly automated.
8. Changes to these rules
We improve Dzeal Chess often and may change questions, levels, pass marks and features. Changes apply from the date shown above. Tiers you have already passed stay passed.
9. Disclaimer and limitation of liability
Educational use only. Dzeal Chess is a learning aid. We do our best to make questions and answers correct, but we do not guarantee that all content is accurate, complete or error-free, or that using it will improve your results in any game, rating, examination or competition.
Provided “as is”. The service is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. We do not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted, secure or free of errors, or that progress data will never be lost.
No liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Dzeal Private Limited, its directors and staff are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss, or for any loss of data, progress, badges, tokens, opportunity, money or goodwill, arising from your use of, or inability to use, Dzeal Chess. Where liability cannot be excluded, our total liability is limited to the amount you paid us for Dzeal Chess in the 12 months before the claim (currently ₹0, as the service is free).
Your responsibility. You are responsible for how you use the service and anything you share (such as badges) on other platforms, which have their own terms.
Third-party services. Sign-in, hosting and sharing rely on third parties such as Google and the apps you share to. We are not responsible for their availability or content.
Governing law. These terms are governed by the laws of India. Courts in Mumbai, Maharashtra have exclusive jurisdiction, subject to any rights you have under consumer protection law.
Questions about these rules? Contact us. How we handle data: Privacy policy.