What is Checkmate Rewind?
Checkmate Rewind is an HTML5 chess puzzle by itch.io creator sbrit19. Instead of playing forward from the opening, each case starts with a finished game and asks you to reconstruct the starting position by taking moves back.
The creator’s itch page provides a browser entry and links to the full version and daily case. Nisu does not host or embed the game.
How the reverse puzzle works
The creator describes taking moves back one at a time, including restoring captured pieces and undoing castling or promotion. The aim is to restore the starting position in exactly the given number of half-moves.
A half-move is one move by one side. The author says you only need to know how the pieces move; the game’s lessons explain how to work backwards. This guide does not claim a specific solution for any case.
Lessons, cases and daily puzzle
The creator’s listing describes eight short lessons and 55 cases across six chapters, as well as a new daily case drawn from real Lichess games. These counts describe the listing checked on November 4, 2026 and may change with updates.
The itch page links to checkmaterewind.com for the full version and daily case. The author says no sign-up or download is needed; we did not complete a case or test persistence across devices.
A practical way to begin
Start with the backwards-move lessons described by the author, then pay attention to the exact half-move allowance when working through a case. Consider which move could have preceded the displayed position, rather than assuming an ordinary forward move solves it.
The creator’s public page does not give a detailed input guide or a guaranteed sequence of moves. Follow the instructions shown by the game, especially for special chess moves.
Source and testing limits
The rules, lesson and case counts above are attributed to sbrit19’s itch.io page. The listing does not identify a numeric build version, and a page publication date is not a version number.
No puzzle was completed, no chess engine or daily answer was checked, and mobile play was not tested. The cover is an original Nisu text graphic, not a game screenshot.
Quick help
Who made Checkmate Rewind?
The itch.io listing credits sbrit19 as the author.
What is the objective?
The creator describes restoring the starting chess position in exactly the given number of half-moves by reversing a finished game.
Is there a daily puzzle?
The author’s listing describes a daily case from real Lichess games and links to the full version. We did not test the daily case.
Source and scope
Author’s itch.io listing checked November 4, 2026. No puzzle or device testing.