In the remainder of this page, you'll quickly see how to use Preptile.
1. The main view
On first open, you'll be asked to enter a name. This is just for fun, lives only on your device — enter whatever you like.
In the top-left corner you’ll see the app’s logo: you can always tap the chameleon to return to this main view.
Tap the gears in the top-right corner to change the settings however you like. (Tip: turn off the tutorial once you know your way around.)
The big circle is reserved for a profile picture. Long-press to choose from your gallery. As before, this is just for fun and stays strictly on your phone. You don’t have to set one.
Below the profile picture you’ll see your name, your Elo (how well you perform with your openings) and the CLTs (completed lines today).
Variant (left): tap the king to cycle between standard and antichess.
Modes (right):
- Time
- Train against the clock.
- Heart
- Three lives.
- Free
- As long as you like, no effect on Elo.
- Nemesis
- Play the 15 lines you know the least (available after you’ve played a bit).
Before pressing TRAIN, let’s visit LINES to manage your repertoire.
2. Your repertoire
Select which files you want to practice, upload new files via UPLOAD (more below), or activate some curated starter files.
- Tap a file to toggle it on/off.
- Tap a greyed-out item to activate it (after watching an ad, it’s yours).
- Long-press an item for a detailed view — you can click through the moves there.
3. Upload
To upload a custom file, paste the PGN and enter a name. Using Lichess studies works great: copy-paste a chapter’s PGN into the text area.
If the PGN is valid, the app tries to detect your color:
- The player has only one correct move in each position; the opponent may have several.
- The player always has the last move (before the line ends).
If it’s ambiguous, you’ll be asked to choose your color and can refine moves in a follow-up view. This is a bit advanced — if you’re new, consider fixing the PGN in Lichess first.
4. Playing!
After selecting at least one file, go back to the main view (tap the chameleon) and press TRAIN.
The app randomly chooses lines. Lines you struggle with get selected more often, also factoring in line length and the number of legal moves in positions.
5. Stats
Tap the profile image (repeatedly) to cycle through views showing your progress and high scores.