ChessWorkbench

Feature wiki

ChessWorkbench workflows in practice.

Short walkthroughs for the core workflows: syncing games, adding curated puzzles, exploring your own openings, and reviewing lines with engine support.

Game syncPuzzle libraryOpening explorerEngine analysisMore features

Game sync

Bring your recent games into one local training library.

Sync pulls games from Chess.com or Lichess into ChessWorkbench, stores them in your own folder structure, and keeps the played-date order so new games are easy to review.

  • Choose the platform, account, game count, and target folder.
  • Skip games that were already imported so repeated syncs stay tidy.
  • Open synced games directly in analysis and turn useful positions into exercises.
Game sync walkthrough

Puzzle library

Find focused Lichess puzzles without leaving your workspace.

The puzzle browser lets you search the bundled curated Lichess puzzle set by rating, theme, opening tag, and quality signals, then import the exact puzzles you want into your own folders.

  • Filter by tactical theme, precise rating range, opening family, and sort order.
  • Select several puzzles at once and add them to a target folder.
  • Train imported puzzles with the same exercise workflow as your own games.
Lichess puzzle browser walkthrough

Opening explorer

Study openings from your own games, not only from public databases.

Opening explorer can use your local games as the source. Define the player names that belong to you, choose a folder scope, and inspect white/draw/black results from the positions you actually reach.

  • Use one or more own-player names across Chess.com, Lichess, and imported games.
  • Scope the explorer to all folders or to a specific part of your library.
  • Switch between automatic side, White, Black, or both sides when comparing move choices.
Opening explorer walkthrough

Engine analysis

Analyze with Stockfish and keep the review with the game.

ChessWorkbench includes Stockfish ready for local analysis. Review a full game, inspect continuations, and return later without losing the saved evaluation curve and move classifications.

Current builds include the unmodified Stockfish engine and its GPLv3 license and source code. Updates can be installed from engine settings. The video also shows the optional manual setup available to advanced users. Stockfish remains a separate local UCI engine, so your games are not uploaded for analysis. See the official Stockfish releases.

  • Run engine analysis and game review on games or exercises.
  • Inspect continuation lines next to comments, move markers, and opening explorer information.
  • Use the engine for move quality review, exercise mining from games, and play-vs-engine training.
Engine analysis walkthrough

More workflows

Other parts of the training workspace.

Daily review

Build a daily queue from your saved exercises. ChessWorkbench introduces new lines gradually and brings due exercises back for repeated practice.

Exercise groups

Create focused groups from any exercises in the library, then train them as a separate set without moving the original material.

Manual exercise creation

Set up a position, choose whether the exercise is for White or Black, add the intended line, and save it directly into a folder.

Exercises from games

Select games from your library and turn relevant positions into focused training material.

Play vs engine

Use the configured Stockfish engine for full-game practice, then save completed games back into the library for later review.

Stats by folder, player, and date

Review win rates, color results, and monthly activity for all games or filtered by folders, usernames, and custom date ranges.

PGN import and export

Import PGN files into the folder structure and export selected material back out when you want to move data between tools.

Folders and local library

Keep games, puzzles, and custom exercises organized locally in a folder structure built for repeated study sessions.

Backup and restore

Keep manual backups of the local app state and restore earlier versions if you want to roll back a library change.

Local-first data

The desktop app is designed around local storage. Your training library stays on your machine unless you choose to move files yourself.

Beta feedback

Ask for help with any workflow.

If a feature behaves differently from the walkthrough, send the app version, the workflow name, and the exact error text to support.

Email support