ChessVerse

ChessVerse is a web-based chess platform built with Django, allowing users to play multiplayer chess games against other players or single-player games against an AI opponent powered by python-chess and enhanced with Google’s Gemini AI. The application supports real-time gameplay using WebSockets, a responsive chessboard interface, and persistent game storage in SQLite. Features include game creation, joining, resignation, and viewing ongoing/completed games.

Features

• Multiplayer chess with real-time move synchronization via WebSockets.
• Single-player mode against an AI opponent, integrating python-chess and Gemini AI for intelligent move generation.
• User authentication for secure game access.
• Interactive chessboard with drag-and-drop moves, powered by Chess.js and Chessboard.js.
• Persistent game state storage in SQLite, with FEN and PGN tracking.
• Real-time opponent status updates (online/offline) and game outcome handling (checkmate, draw, resignation).
• Responsive UI with Bootstrap styling and modals for game events.

Prerequisites

Before setting up ChessVerse, ensure you have the following installed:

• Python 3.8+: Download
• Redis: For WebSocket group messaging.
  • Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install redis-server
  • macOS: brew install redis
  • Windows: Use Docker (docker run -d -p 6379:6379 redis) or a Windows-compatible Redis build.
• pip: Python package manager (included with Python).
• Google Gemini API Key: Obtain from Google AI Studio for AI features.

Installation

Clone the Repository

Clone ChessVerse to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/mrmadness49/chessverse.git
cd chessverse

Set Up a Virtual Environment

Create and activate a Python virtual environment:

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

Install Python Dependencies

Install required Python packages:

pip install django channels channels-redis python-chess[uci,gaviota] google-generativeai python-dotenv

Install JavaScript Libraries

ChessVerse uses CDN-hosted JavaScript libraries in game.html. If you prefer local files:

1. Create a static directory in the project root or chess app directory.
2. Download or use npm to install:

   npm install chess.js chessboard-js reconnecting-websocket jquery bootstrap

3. Place files in static/js/ and static/css/ (e.g., chess.min.js, chessboard-0.3.0.min.css).
4. Run python manage.py collectstatic to gather static files.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Fork the repository, make changes, and submit a pull request. Ensure tests pass and follow the project’s coding style.

License

MIT License - feel free to use, modify, and distribute.