Facebook Messenger is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, but did you know that it has an awesome little secret? With just a few simple commands, you can play a built-in chess game that requires no additional apps on iPhone, iPad, and in your browser.
Here’s how to play:
- To begin a game of chess, simply enter the command @fbchess play. If you’re playing a group conversation (which could annoy other friends, so bear that in mind), then you use the same command followed by the name of the person you wish to play with, such as @fbchess play Tom.
- By default, colors will be chosen at random, and your friend will go first. To move pieces, use the command @fbchess following by the letter to select a piece, followed by the position you wish to move to. Example: @fbchess Pd4.The capital P stands for pawn, while “d4” specifies the position you wish to move it to. You can also use K to move the king, Q to move the queen, B to move a bishop, N to move a knight, and R to move a rook. Ensure you use a capital letter.
- To view a list of all commands available — like those to resign a game or to show stats — enter @fbchess help.
It’s that simple! You can play Messenger chess both on the desktop in a browser, and inside Facebook’s Messenger apps for mobile — without any additional software. If you want a bigger view while playing on desktop, click the “See Full Conversation” option.
[via Lifehacker]Check our category page for more iPhone tips and tricks:
