Downloading and installing

Are you interested in downloading SparkChess for PC, Mac, iOS or Android? Have you encountered any issue? Most users can download and start playing chess right away, but just in case you’re having some problems, check this section.

How do I install SparkChess on Mac OS?

On Macs, SparkChess doesn’t need a special installer. There is no DMG or PKG file. When the download completes, Mac OS automatically decompresses the SparkChess zip file so all you need to do is to drag it from the Downloads folder to the desktop. Click here for a video.

My Antivirus Blocks SparkChess – why?

SparkChess does not contain any form of malware, spyware, adware or anything harmful. It doesn’t interact with the system beyond loading & saving games and accessing the internet in multiplayer; the installer doesn’t do anything else besides copying files. Still, some overzealous antiviruses may very rarely flag SparkChess and move it to quarantine. (Sometimes, antiviruses manage to actually label themselves as viruses.)

SparkChess was briefly flagged by Norton Antivirus as ‘WS.Reputation1‘, which basically means a file not commonly downloaded (new release – duh!). We worked with Symantec and whitelisted it but the process has to be repeated for every release. You should keep your virus definitions up-to-date so you don’t get false-positives.

If you are unsure about SparkChess for Windows, you can use the free VirusTotal.com service to upload and scan the installer. They scan with 70 different antivirus and antimalware programs .

If Norton Antivirus quarantined your download, please follow these instructions to restore it.

I purchased SparkChess but I still see the free version when I play

You’re probably launching the free version by mistake. Don’t worry, it happens.

Let’s review the possibilities:

  • if you purchased SparkChess for PC or Mac, you no longer need to play the game in your browser. You must locate the downloaded game and install it on your computer. Use CTRL+J / CMD+J from your browser to see the Download History and look for a file containing the word “sparkchess”, e.g. sparkchess17setup.exe on PC or sparkchess17.zip on Mac.
  • If you subscribed to Premium Live to play in your browser, you no longer need to access www.sparkchess.com – instead you must open the premium site at premium.sparkchess.com to login.
  • On Android and IOS, pay attention to the game icons and names. They are called differently, the full version is “SparkChess Pro”.

How can I upgrade to the latest version?

If you own an older version, you can upgrade using this upgrade form.

I downloaded the game but I can’t find it. Do I need to buy it again?

On Mac OS, SparkChess is distributed as a simple zip, without any DMG/PKG installer. Check your Downloads folder or use Spotlight (CMD+Space) to search for “sparkchess”. After you find it, consider dragging it to Desktop or to the Applications folder.

On Windows, start by checking your Downloads History (press CTRL+J  in your browser to see the list). You can also check your Downloads folder and use Windows Search (press WIN+S) to search for “sparkchess”.

If you still  can’t find it or in the event you lost all the information on your computer, you can download SparkChess again. You’ll need your Transaction ID and email address (or at least the email address you used for purchase to recover the Transaction ID).

I bought the game, but I didn’t receive an email or download link. What should I do?

Most likely the email sent to you was flagged as spam by your mail server or email application. Please check your Spam/Junk folder. If you can’t find it, please contact us. We’ll do our best to reply to you within two business days and will send you the game.

I’m on Linux – is SparkChess available for me?

Currently we do not have a native Linux version as there’s just not enough interest. SparkChess Premium Live is available on all operating systems that support modern browsers. Please contact us if you require SparkChess as a Linux app and we may reconsider.

What platforms does your chess game work on?

SparkChess is available as a native app on:

In addition, SparkChess Premium Live will run in any modern browser, regardless of platform.