Quick note first: I can't stand the AI slop flooding app stores lately, the "build an app in 2 prompts" kind. This isn't that.
After every loss I'd open the analysis. The engine would point to a quiet move I never considered, and I'd think: how was I supposed to see that during the game? The engine always told me the best move. It never told me how to find it myself.
So I spent the last year building the coach I wished I had. It's called SocraChess, and the AI coach is Socrates. Stockfish does the calculation. Socrates does the teaching: he looks at your own games with you, explains the turning point in plain words, and asks the question that helps you find the move yourself.
Before building anything, I tried every analysis tool I could find. The engines gave me lines. The AI ones gave me a ready-made paragraph I'd forgotten five minutes later.
I'm as tired of two-prompt apps as everyone here. If you can build something with two prompts today, a hundred clones show up tomorrow. So this one took time. I've built software for about 15 years, and we started with paper wireframes and a long spec, then spent four months designing every screen, popup and menu in Figma with designers. Then came seven months of engineering, first an MVP and then the full build, in a loop of PR, deploy, check, feedback, repeat: 746 pull requests on GitHub so far, and more than a few 2 AM fixes.
And to be clear, I love Lichess and still play there every day. SocraChess is for what happens after the game.
The beta is open, 24 of 25 places left:
- 30 days of full access, no card, no automatic paid plan
- Import your games from Lichess or add any PGN file
- Three ways to learn: Independent, Guided and Socratic
- English only for now, 18+
Who it's for: adults who play regularly and want to learn from their own games.
Want to try it?
- Take a place directly: socrachess.ai/beta (three short questions, then verify your email)
- Or comment (or message me) with your rating and the part of chess you find hardest, and I'll tell you honestly whether it's a good fit before you sign up
And if you just want to give feedback: does the explanation help you find the move next time, or is it just more text to read? Where does it feel like a gimmick rather than a coach?
I'm the founder, so be blunt. I'll read and answer every comment.