The Best Free Online Chess Platforms

Do you want to play chess online, but inflation has you watching your budget? Whether you’re new to chess and not ready to commit or a seasoned player looking for an online chess community, these great free chess platforms are worth checking out.

Totally Free Platforms

No catch, no ads, no paywall--these online chess sites are 100% free.

Lichess.org

If you’re looking for a totally free chess platform with no ads and no hidden “upgrades” required, Lichess.org (Lichess) should be your first stop. Lichess has everything you could want for browser-based online chess. You can play a quick pairing, challenge a friend, or enter into a correspondence chess match in seconds. The list of variants available, although not extensive, does include popular options such as Chess960. You’ll get a Glicko-2 rating that adjusts as you play more games.

Lichess has a moderate amount of instructional content. Interactive lessons walk you through the basics, practice tactics, and notation drills. Avid learners will exhaust those lessons quickly, however. Where Lichess shines is its large, curated video library, puzzle library, and collection of game studies, all unlocked when you sign up.

Lichess has regular tournaments, teams, and a thriving chess community. Chat and direct messaging are optional features of Lichess. Because Lichess is one of the largest online platforms, users will find many others interested in forming teams, playing their favorite variant, and discussing chess topics they’re interested in. The site is also regularly updated with new news and content.

Lichess is a non-profit relying on donations from users. All the features are free whether you donate or not. While the content and features on the site are as good as any other, you may find the interface a little bare bones if you’re used to bells and whistles. Overall, it’s an excellent choice for any chess player.

ChessKid.com

Brought to you by the Chess.com crew, ChessKid.com is a child-friendly, free option for your young chess players. It’s designed to keep young players safe while providing them with robust learning and fun online play.

The website has everything you would want from a kids’ chess platform. It features a simplified play interface that allows kids to choose a time increment and play either live or against a bot. They can also choose “Play Slow,” which is a correspondence chess option. There is a heavy emphasis on learning and practice on ChessKid.com, including a comprehensive curriculum with puzzles, exercises, videos, and more.

Unlike full-featured chess platforms, ChessKid.com is a no-contact online space. There are no forums, comments, or direct messages. Enhanced privacy considerations include computer-generated screen names and no chat at all. Kids can find their friends and teammates by username and play against them, but that’s the only social feature.

Somewhat ironically, the one critique I have of ChessKid.com is that it is too simple. Because it doesn’t have many of the popular variants preset, it won’t be flexible enough for kids who want more variety in their games. An avid youngster may outgrow it once they’ve attained some skill. That said, it’s a fun option for the smaller set, and the price is very nice!

Free-ish Chess Platforms

These platforms are free to use, but there are features behind the paywall that might be attractive to you in the long run.

Chess.com

Chess.com is a major powerhouse in online chess, boasting a membership of over 150 million players. You can sign up for free and enjoy a pretty robust experience without a commitment. You’ll want to register to save your progress as you play games and complete learning programs. The interactive learning program includes audio coaching and a preset instruction path to guide you.

If you’re interested in multiplayer chess or more complex variations, Chess.com offers an extensive list of presets available. In fact, Chess.com has an extensive list of practically any feature you could ask for. Chess forums, tournaments starting every few minutes, news and articles, streaming links, and too many other features to name. Despite the paywall, there is a motherload of free online chess to enjoy.

Chess.com will track and save your games, assign you a rating based on the Glicko system, and provide a portion of their puzzle and learning library for free. Premium memberships start at a few dollars a month. If you like the Chess.com user interface and broad range of styles/communities, that’s probably worthwhile for you.

I have a Gold Membership to Chess.com. The most compelling reason for my paid account (and my chief complaint) are the ads. All that free content has to be funded somehow, but the distraction of a constantly playing video is hard to ignore. If you’re looking for a truly free experience, the ads and paywalls on a large portion of the site may be less attractive for you.

Internet Chess Club

The Internet Chess Club (ICC) is another beginner-friendly chess platform that offers optional upgrades. ICC offers a free registration option that provides access to online play with a few perks. Once registered, you can play classic games or chess variants, such as bullet and blitz. Use the analysis feature to review saved games. Watch live chess games real-time.

The standout difference with ICC is the engaging interface. The AI chess players have animal avatars and different personalities. The Stockfish option has adaptive difficulty to specify the AI opponent’s characteristics. Puzzles have assistive coaching to teach why a move is superior. This platform would be great for an improver or older chess kid who likes to “gamify” their progress, earning badges in the Missions tab.

ICC is not a learning platform for newbies, however, as there is little to help you with the rules of chess or tutorials. Video content, news, and articles, and the Puzzle Quest are behind the paywall per their Membership page, but I was able to get into Puzzle Quest without upgrading. I didn’t get the sense that the community is very large, as the site just relaunched in 2024. Some features are not live yet, so make sure it has the functionality you care about. That said, it’s definitely worth considering.

More Apps to Play on Your Phone or Tablet

Playing a game of chess on the go is better than doomscrolling! Like most apps, these have in-app purchases available to expand your options. Check out your app store to install on your phone or tablet.

Play Magnus – Play Chess

The Play Magnus - Play Chess mobile app has a fun premise: Play chess against Magnus Carlsen at different ages to see if you can beat him. You can also play against other GMs, including GM Judit Polgar and others, via humanized chess engines trained to play like them. There are also some levels of training available before you reach the membership paywall.

As you play and improve against young Magnus, you can unlock different levels and opponents with “Brainpower” you earn. The difficulty increases as you progress from Magnus at age five up to thirty. This isn’t a beginner app, as true novices may find themselves frustrated by some consistent losses that prevent progressing. If you’ve got the skills to go head-to-head, it’s an interesting exercise.

This is a straightforward AI chess opponent mobile app, making it well-suited for travel and waiting rooms where you might not have Wi-Fi or a phone signal. You can leave a game in progress and come back to it right where you left off. Definitely a free online chess app worth downloading before your next vacation!

Really Bad Chess

If you’re in a rut of non-stop blitz or bored with classical, this twist is an entertaining diversion. The premise of Really Bad Chess is simple, but the play is complex. You and your opponent start each game with random pieces arranged in a random layout. You might have six rooks; you may have no rooks at all! The pieces might be jumbled in the center of the board, or in the corners. Every game is different. Think of it like Chess960 (AKA Fischer Randomized Chess) but wild!

If this sounds intriguing, give it a try. If it sounds like a chaotic nightmare, you’ll want to avoid it. It will help you improve your chess, however, because it flexes your improvisation and creativity instead of using predictable patterns. Install this one to unwind and stretch the possibilities of chess strategy in the process.

Another note: Lichess · Online Chess and Chess – Play & Learn are the mobile apps for Lichess.org and Chess.com, respectively. Your login will work seamlessly on the mobile versions, so don’t forget to take advantage of that.

Be Free!

It’s easier than ever to play chess online, and these free platforms are a great place to start without committing to another subscription. Whether you want the no-nonsense workhorse of Lichess.org, the feature-packed powerhouse of Chess.com, or something a little different, you’ll have hours of chess at your fingertips for a seriously nice price.