Zwischenzug: Lichess Desktop App Unlocks Games When Pulse Settles
Zwischenzug is a privacy-first desktop app built with Electron TypeScript and Presage SmartSpectra SDK that locks Lichess games after a loss until your pulse calms down.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Zwischenzug locks new Lichess games after a loss until your pulse settles.
- It reads your pulse via webcam using the Presage SmartSpectra SDK locally.
- Fallback timers and confirmation typing are available if the camera is inactive.
- Created by Priyanshu Jha as a submission for the Presage SDK Challenge.
Online chess often lures players into an impulsive one-more-game cycle right after a painful loss, triggering rapid losing streaks. An analysis of 11.3 million Lichess games through the chess-tilt project revealed that players frequently jump back into matches while emotionally unsettled. Major platforms like Lichess and Chess.com lack native cooldown features, while existing extensions merely count losses and enforce fixed time blocks regardless of a player's actual physiological state.
To combat tilt, developer Priyanshu Jha created Zwischenzug, named after the chess term for an in-between move. Instead of relying on rigid timers, this desktop app introduces a pause after a loss that ends only when your body has physically settled. Built with Electron TypeScript, the Presage SmartSpectra SDK, and the Lichess open API, the app was submitted for the Presage SmartSpectra SDK Challenge for macOS and Windows platforms.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Users play Lichess directly inside the Zwischenzug interface. When a defeat occurs, new games are locked. With user consent, the application reads pulse rates locally from the webcam and unlocks the game once vitals return near the personal baseline. The camera remains inactive during gameplay, operating solely during a one-minute check-in and the post-loss cooldown screen. If camera signals are unavailable, a timer acts as a fallback, and users can skip the cooldown at any time by typing a confirmation sentence.
Integrating computer vision and webcam pulse-detection into a competitive gaming wrapper highlights a growing trend in behavioral design tools. By bridging biometric feedback with digital leisure activities, developers can create effective digital wellbeing interventions that respond dynamically to human physiological states rather than relying on arbitrary restrictions.
The developer clarifies that Zwischenzug is a habit-building tool rather than a medical device, meaning it does not diagnose medical conditions or claim to definitively detect emotional tilt. Individual pulse readings are never stored, and diagnostic logs retain only application events such as game IDs and outcomes without storing raw biometric metrics or keys. Prebuilt installers for version 0.1.0 are available on GitHub as a solo hackathon project, complete with README instructions on bypassing Gatekeeper and SmartScreen warnings.
"A chess clock for your nervous system. The camera doesn't watch your game; it waits with you after it, and lets you back in when you're ready."
Priyanshu Jha
The project earned recognition in the Best Thoughtful Real-World Use and Most Creative or Delightful Use categories. The creator welcomes further feedback from the chess community regarding thresholds and long-term session data to refine how nervous system pacing can improve online competitive gaming habits.
Source: Dev.to
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