Getting started
Contributing to Checkmate
How to contribute code, report bugs, and participate in the project.
Overview
Checkmate is open source. The project uses a gitflow-style workflow — fork, branch, PR, review, merge.
Before you start
- Read through the Checkmate repository to understand the codebase
- Join the Discord community to connect with other contributors
- Check open issues for tasks labeled
good first issue
Contribution workflow
- Fork the repository — create your own copy on GitHub
- Create a feature branch from the main branch with your changes
- Push the branch to your fork on GitHub
- Open a pull request for the team to review
- Respond to feedback — the team may approve or request revisions
- Make adjustments if needed and push updates to the same branch
- Maintainer merge — once approved, a maintainer will merge your branch
If you're new to Git or need a refresher, check out the Git Quick Start Guide maintained by the Bluewave team.
Getting the development environment running
See the installation guide for developer setup instructions with hot-reload support.
Guidelines
- Follow existing code conventions and patterns in the codebase
- Write clear commit messages describing what changed and why
- Keep pull requests focused — one feature or fix per PR
- Test your changes locally before submitting
- Be respectful and constructive in code reviews
Other ways to contribute
- Report bugs — open an issue on GitHub
- Suggest features — start a discussion on GitHub Discussions
- Translate — help translate Checkmate into your language on POEditor
- Improve docs — submit PRs to improve documentation
- Share — star the repo, write about Checkmate, or recommend it to others