AI coach that talks
Every move gets a plain-English explanation. Not cryptic symbols. Not "??". The coach tells you why your move was wrong and what was better — in words you understand.
Poussée (poo-SAY) — French for “the pawn push” — is the AI chess coach that explains every move in plain English, turns YOUR blunders into personal puzzles, and makes you measurably stronger in 10 minutes a day.
The push
In chess, a single pushed pawn can decide the game. In learning, a single push — the right explanation at the right moment — changes how you see the board forever.
That's what the AI coach does. Not just "bad move." But why it was bad, what you missed, and how to see it next time.
The mission
Chess learning that respects your time, your data, and your intelligence.
Your mistakes become puzzles
Poussée mines your blunders and turns them into personal training. Fix the holes in your game, not someone else's.
Ghost Mode
Replay a game you played 90+ days ago. Did you actually improve? Prove it, move by move, against your past self.
Bots with stories
10 bots with distinct styles, dialogue, and personality arcs. Beat Blames James to unlock Rookie Regina. Chess with stakes.
Play anonymous, stay anonymous
No account required. Open the tab, push a pawn, solve a puzzle. Your progress lives in your browser until you decide to sync it.
Cross-platform from day one
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Steam. One account, every surface — your streak follows you.
The difference
Why not chess.com? Why not Lichess?
| Feature | chess.com | Lichess | Poussée |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI coach explains moves | $99/yr | No | Free |
| Unlimited puzzles | 10/day free | Yes | Yes |
| Ad-free | $99/yr | Yes | Yes |
| Full offline play | Partial | No | Full |
| Bot personalities | No | No | 10 bots |
| Works without account | No | Partial | Yes |
| On-device AI (no data sent) | No | No | Yes |
chess.com
Charges $99/year to explain why your move was bad. Limits you to 10 puzzles a day. Runs ads on the free tier. Forces account creation to play a bot.
Lichess
Free and open source — we respect that enormously. But no AI coaching. No personalized training. No bot personalities. Functional, but clinical.
Poussée
Free AI coaching. Free puzzles, no daily limit. No ads, ever. No account needed. 10 bots with personalities. Your mistakes become your curriculum. Works offline.
By the numbers
Big surface. Small footprint.
0+ Puzzles
0 Bots
0 Lessons
0 Platforms
iOS · macOS · Windows · Linux · Web · Apple Watch · Steam
Acknowledgments
Standing on the shoulders of giants.
- Stockfish — the world's strongest open-source chess engine (GPL). Poussée uses Stockfish 17 for analysis and bot play.
- The open-source chess community — for decades of shared knowledge, tools, and passion.
Get in touch