Building Real-time Chess with Socket.io

by David Washington

Sat, Apr 22, 2017
Room: P0838
Time: 9:15

Socket.io is a real-time engine for Node.js. You can use it to build amazing real-time Node apps really simply. Let's build a real-time multiplayer chess game together, using Node, Express and Socket.io from scratch. We'll start by building a basic Express web app hosting a local chess game. Next we'll make it multiplayer adding Socket.io; when you make a move it's reflected on your opponent's screen in real-time without any refresh. We'll finish by publishing it online so you can play with your friends. It will be sweet because you'll learn about websockets and Socket.io by building this fun game, and it's a good way to learn some basics of Node apps if you're a beginner.

About the Author

David Washington is a self-proclaimed hacker. He’s Microsoft veteran of 12 years, where he’s led the developer teams that built the user experience the Windows Explorer, new form factors and the touch keyboard. He’s picked up awards for winning hacks at TechCrunch Disrupt, he’s regularly asked to speak at technical conferences around the US, and has delivered developer sessions at PDC, BUILD, MidwestJS, MobileMarch, KCDC and HDC. Besides holding multiple design and utility patents, he is continually building projects with open source, IoT, iOS, and the mobile web. David has a particular passion for working with non-technical people to enable things that have never been done with technology before. Currently a Director of developers at Microsoft, where his team works to help and enable startups, students and independent developers do more.