This open-source Java Chess Game was my very first "real" programming project outside of the classroom, created after finishing my first Intro to Algorithm classes at MTC back in 2021, just before I began attedning USC. Bluntly, I was never particularly any good at chess, never having put in the required time nor effort to master the game; the lack of which was often exploited when playing against my younger brother.
This program was a way for me to finally beat him at his own game; using computers to do the work I really ought to have done in my head. Regardless, I finally had my revenge, beating him for the first and only time.
I haven't played chess since.
I built the game using UTF-8 characters to represent chess pieces, which felt extremely clever at the time. The interface went through a litany of tweaks as I tried to mimic a modern Windows GUI, even despite me testing it on two ancient Windows XP machines. Those computers ran like molasses, but figuring out how to connect them via IP addresses so we could play against each other from different rooms in our house was pretty cool at the time.
The primary feature (and reason I built the program) I managed to put in was a move-suggestion system, which hinted at the best moves, or warned you about the worst ones. I also included a predictive simulator to guess your opponent's next move, adding some strategic depth. The code wasn't perfect, and looking back, it makes me cringe a little, but that's part of its charm.
Today, this repo is the only video game I've decided to keep on my GitHub acct. It reminds me of a simpler time before I had to be an adult, a time filled with late-night coding sessions, sibling rivalries, and even building a go-kart before heading off to the University of South Carolina. I've left it open-source, partly out of nostalgia, and partly in the hope that others might find amusement in my first stab at making a real game.