Tampermonkey Chess Script -
Tampermonkey chess scripts are a fascinating display of JavaScript's power and the extensibility of the modern web. They allow developers to hack together custom interfaces and automate tedious tasks. However, when used to gain an unfair advantage, they undermine the spirit of chess—a game defined by human calculation and psychological endurance.
For developers, they are a great project to learn DOM manipulation and client-server communication. For players, however, the best script is still the one running inside your own brain.
To "generate a piece" in the context of a Tampermonkey chess script , you are likely looking for a way to programmatically inject or modify a chess piece on a site like Chess.com or Lichess. The most common way to do this is by changing the piece's visual asset (image)
using CSS injection within your script. Below is a foundational piece of code you can use to replace a standard piece (e.g., the White King) with a custom image. Tampermonkey Script: Custom Piece Generator This script targets
to replace the White King with a custom image of your choice. javascript // ==UserScript== // @name Chess.com Custom Piece Generator // @namespace http://tampermonkey.net // @version 1.0
// @description Replace a standard chess piece with a custom image // @author You // @match https://www.chess.com/* // @grant none // ==/UserScript== 'use strict' // 1. Define your custom piece image URL customPieceURL = "https://example.com" // 2. Identify the piece to replace (e.g., White King 'wk')
// Common classes: .wk (white king), .bq (black queen), .wp (white pawn), etc. style = document.createElement( ); style.innerHTML = tampermonkey chess script
` .piece.wk, .sidebar-piece.wk background-image: url("$ customPieceURL ") !important; ` // 3. Inject the style into the page document.head.appendChild(style); })(); Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Key Elements of the Script Targeting Pieces : On Chess.com, pieces use shorthand class names like (White King), (White Knight), or (Black Pawn). CSS Injection background-image !important
flag ensures your custom image overrides the site's default sprite. Dynamic Links : To use your own images, simply replace the customPieceURL with a direct link to any PNG or SVG file. How to Install Tampermonkey Dashboard in your browser. "Create a new script" Paste the code above and press Navigate to a game on to see the generated piece in action. for pieces each time you load a game?
A properly structured Tampermonkey chess script requires specific metadata for compatibility, efficient DOM manipulation to avoid breaking the chess site's functionality, and safe handling of game data.
The example below is a QoL (Quality of Life) script designed to enhance analysis by adding a button to directly open the current game in Lichess analysis from Chess.com. This type of script is generally allowed, unlike engine-assistance hacks. Structure of a Proper Tampermonkey Chess Script javascript Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Components of a "Proper" Script
@match: Strict matching is vital (e.g., https://chess.com*).
@run-at: Setting to document-end ensures the HTML exists before your script tries to modify it. Tampermonkey chess scripts are a fascinating display of
MutationObserver: Chess sites (like Chess.com) are Single Page Applications (SPAs). If you only run code once, it will disappear when the game refreshes. A MutationObserver detects changes in the page structure and re-applies the script.
Error Handling: Wrap code in try...catch blocks to prevent the entire site from crashing due to a script error. Common Functional Examples
UI Tweaks: Modifying CSS to display both game review bubbles simultaneously. Analysis: Adding links to Lichess from Chessgames.com. Customization: Replacing piece images using CSS injection. To make this script truly useful, I can help you with: Adding the code to scrape the current PGN from the site.
Creating a button that displays game evaluation using a local engine (if you are comfortable with that).
What is the main goal of your script (e.g., enhancing UI, better analysis, automation)? How to use Tampermonkey (Simple Tutorial 2024)
Let’s write a script that draws a red ring around the king on Chess.com. Let’s write a script that draws a red
// ==UserScript== // @name Chess King Highlighter // @namespace http://tampermonkey.net/ // @version 1.0 // @description Highlights the king in red on Chess.com // @author You // @match https://www.chess.com/game/* // @grant none // ==/UserScript==(function() 'use strict';
function highlightKing() // Find all pieces on the board (Chess.com uses 'piece' class) const pieces = document.querySelectorAll('.piece'); pieces.forEach(piece => // Check if piece is a king (typically 'k' in class or alt text) if (piece.classList.contains('wk') ); // Run every second because the DOM changes after moves setInterval(highlightKing, 1000);
)();
What this script does: Every second, it scans the Chess.com game page for pieces with the wk (white king) or bk (black king) class and adds a red glow.
Is this cheating? No. It does not evaluate the position; it only visually highlights a piece you can already see.
To expand this script, you could:
Chess.com and Lichess actively detect bots. Key countermeasures:
let observer = new MutationObserver(() =>
if (myTurn && !thinking) startAnalysis();
);
observer.observe(boardContainer, attributes: true, subtree: true );