The Story Behind EloRun
Every great project starts with a problem you care about. For me, that problem was watching my son prepare for his school chess tournaments.
He'd come home with puzzle sheets from class — a handful of positions to solve before the next match. He'd blast through them in fifteen minutes, then have nothing left to practice. No new challenges. No way to track if he was actually improving.
So I built him an app.
EloRun started as a simple training tool for one kid. But the moment his friends saw it, they wanted in. Then their friends. Then their parents started asking if they could download it too.
That's when I realized: this wasn't just my son's problem. It was every chess kid's problem.
Why Classroom Puzzles Aren't Enough
Here's what chess training looks like in most schools: the teacher hands out a worksheet with 25 to 50 puzzles. Every student gets the same sheet. The strong players finish in minutes. The beginners stare at positions they can't decode.
It's efficient for the classroom. But it's terrible for learning.
Chess is deeply personal. A 1200-rated player needs completely different puzzles than a 600-rated player. Give a beginner tactics they can't solve and they get discouraged. Give a strong player puzzles they solve instantly and they get bored. Both paths lead to the same place: quitting.
Yet that's exactly what happens in classrooms every day. One-size-fits-all puzzle sheets that serve nobody well.
And the worst part? The puzzles aren't even curated for the class. They're generic worksheets reused year after year. No adaptation. No feedback loop. Just a stack of paper and a hope that something sticks.
Smart Puzzles That Adapt to Every Move
EloRun takes the opposite approach. Instead of a fixed set of puzzles, it uses a smart Elo-based algorithm that measures your skill level in real time and serves puzzles that match your rating — always challenging but never overwhelming.
Here's how it works: every puzzle you solve (or fail) adjusts your rating. Solve a tough puzzle? Your rating goes up, and the next puzzle will be harder. Miss one? The algorithm recalibrates and finds the sweet spot where you learn the most. It's the same Elo system used in competitive chess — but applied to practice.
The result is a training experience that feels like a game. You're not grinding through random puzzles. You're climbing a ladder, earning your rank, and competing with yourself (and others) on a global leaderboard.
And with over 11,200+ puzzles spanning every tactical theme and difficulty level, there's always something new to solve. Forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, checkmate patterns — the full spectrum of chess tactics, organized by theme and scaled by difficulty.
20x More Practice. Real Improvement.
Once my son and his friends started using EloRun, the numbers spoke for themselves.
Where they used to solve 25–50 generic puzzles a week as homework, they're now averaging over 1,000 puzzles per week on EloRun. That's 20x more practice — and because the puzzles adapt to their level, every single one of those repetitions is effective.
The three-strike system keeps it exciting. You get three attempts per puzzle before the run ends. Every move matters. It turns practice into a game where you're racing against yourself, and the only way to win is to think harder and get better.
Multiple profiles mean siblings can share one device while keeping their own rating, streaks, and progress. A secure PIN keeps each kid's data private — no more fighting over who solved what.
Built for Every Young Chess Player
EloRun is free to download on Google Play. No ads. No subscriptions. Just a training tool that treats every kid like the unique player they are.
Whether your child is preparing for their first school tournament or aiming for a national title, EloRun adapts to their level and keeps them motivated. The puzzles never run out. The challenge never stops. And the progress? It's all tracked, ranked, and celebrated.
I built this for my son. But I'm releasing it for every kid who deserves better chess training.