Help and training

Getting started and choosing a level

Enter a name or nickname and your FIDE rating or your rating on the platform you use most. If you do not know it, enter an estimate. Check the suggested level or choose another: Intermediate 1000–1500, Advanced 1500–2000 or High Level 2000–2500.

Your level is saved for your profile even if your rating changes later. You can change the level manually in the theme index. The ranges are a guide only, and your Silicio rating is an internal measure.

The app automatically uses English or Spanish according to your device language. There is no language switch in the app. Other device languages use English unless Spanish is also a preferred device language.

Themes and puzzles

Find a theme in the index and open its numbered map. Tap any number to open that puzzle directly. The groups of numbers let you browse the collection; Continue resumes where you left off.

Drag a piece or tap its starting and destination squares. The board is oriented for the side you need to play. Illegal moves do not count as answers. Complete all your moves in the sequence to solve the puzzle.

Each puzzle belongs to the opening phase and to an opening family identified in the source. Some themes group related openings. The number available in High Level varies by theme to preserve puzzle difficulty. Solve the included sequence: it does not always end in checkmate.

Learning from mistakes

An incorrect legal move is played on the board and triggers a message. Retry puzzle starts another attempt; Review position lets you study the position and solution.

My mistakes keeps up to your last 100 distinct puzzles with incorrect answers. You can retry them from there. Corrected mistakes remain available for review.

In Create test, choose My mistakes when you have at least five puzzles available, or New puzzles to mix themes from your chosen level. You can select only one option. Tests from your mistakes can include puzzles from different levels.

Rating and puzzle status

Before your first attempt, you see how many points you will gain for a correct solution or lose for an incorrect answer. Each puzzle affects your rating only once per profile. Repeating it does not change your rating, even if you correct a mistake.

The map marks a puzzle red after a mistake and mint green after a correct solution. A successful retry turns it mint green. Solving a puzzle in a test also updates its status in the corresponding theme.

Viewing the solution before solving the puzzle counts as incorrect and requires confirmation. Studying a solution you have already viewed does not increase your rating.

Time, review and sounds

The timer records active time on each puzzle, with no time limit and no effect on your rating. It pauses when you leave the puzzle, open a dialog or put the app in the background. Time is saved periodically; a forced closure can lose the last few seconds that have not yet been saved.

Below each puzzle number you see your best successful time or, if you have not solved it yet, your last recorded time. Solving it faster improves your personal best.

After finishing, tap a move in the notation to return to that position. The controls let you go to the start, step backward, step forward, go to the end and flip the board. The figurines distinguish White’s and Black’s pieces.

The speaker button enables or mutes sounds. This preference is shared by all users on this device. Volume depends on your phone’s media volume setting.

Users and deletion

In Users, you can create up to five profiles, switch between them, edit a name or delete a profile. Initial Elo can only be edited before the first result. Progress and levels are independent; profiles do not have passwords.

To delete a profile, tap its delete icon in Users and confirm. To delete all data and preferences, use Android’s app storage settings or uninstall the app. This version does not export backups or synchronize progress.

Help and contact

Email gpacheco@ajedrezdesilicio.com and include the app version, level, theme and puzzle number. Do not include passwords or unnecessary information. The app can copy the address; you send the message from your email app.

This version is intended for ages 13 and older. Purchases and support requests involving minors require adult involvement where applicable.