A Chessify alternative for studying from books
Chessify rents fast cloud servers for chess engines, with a large game database, and its apps scan positions and PDFs. GreyChess is built for learning from the chess books you own: it reads every diagram into a live board beside the page, with the book’s own lines on it.
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If you study from books
GreyChess is a book reader first, so a book reads like a book.
- The board follows the page: the first diagram of each page is loaded onto the board beside it, and N and P step through the diagrams, across pages and chapters.
- Your books stay: Chessify’s announcement of its web PDF reader says the file is kept only while its tab is open. GreyChess keeps each book on your device and reopens it at the page you reached.
- More than the diagrams: the book’s own lines on the board, pages read aloud, and a chapter made into a drill, then flashcards.
- PDF and ePub alike, in the browser, with nothing to install.
If you need raw engine power
Chessify’s cloud servers run Stockfish, Leela Chess Zero and other engines far faster than any browser can, and plug into ChessBase, Fritz, HIARCS and SCID. For deep opening preparation, that is what it is built for.
GreyChess runs Stockfish 18 in your browser, on your device: free, private, and plenty for the positions in a book. Any position opens on Lichess in a click, and copies as FEN or PGN for any other program, Chessify included.
Training beyond the book
Rated puzzles at your level by theme, the mistakes from your own Lichess and Chess.com games, and classes with homework for coaches.
A note on sources
What this page says about Chessify comes from its own pages, as they read in September 2026, and may have changed since. Chessify is a trademark of its owner, named here only to compare: GreyChess is not affiliated with Chessify, nor endorsed by it.
Questions
Does GreyChess have cloud engines?
No. Stockfish 18 runs in your browser, on your own device, at no cost per minute. A position opens on Lichess in a click when you want a second opinion.
Can I use both?
Yes. Copy any position from GreyChess as FEN or PGN and paste it into Chessify or any other chess program.
Is GreyChess free?
You can start free, with daily limits. Pro raises them and adds a few things, such as practising your repertoire, for a month or a year, and a plan you pay for once doesn’t renew.
More of what GreyChess does
Try it on the book you are reading
Start free. Sign in with Google, Lichess or your email.
Open your first book