Lichess: The Best Free Site to Play Chess

Want to develop your mind? Chess. Want to pass the time? Chess. Want to explore legends and advanced mathematics? Chess. Learning the rules is simple, but learning to play chess well enough to be competitive… that’s another story. The web is full of resources, and many people wonder where to begin. Today we recommend Lichess, a portal where you can play, learn, watch, and analyze games with enthusiasts from around the world, without paying a cent.

They say everything has been invented in chess. Is that really true? I admit that computer engines have gotten very good (although from time to time they give us some surprises), but the human factor is too important to declare it exhausted. A whole new chapter opens with each generation of masters… and you could be one of them in the future.

Of course, you need the right environment and the right tools, and that’s when Lichess appears. Developed by Thibault Duplessis, Lichess is a portal where you can develop and optimize your chess skills, whether playing against the Stockfish engine (eight levels available) or against other users under different conditions.

How to Play Chess on Lichess

You can participate anonymously or create an account to track your progress. If you just want a quick match, Lichess offers games under the Bullet, Blitz, and Rapid modes, but it also supports eight variants (Antichess, Atomic, Chess960, Crazyhouse, Horde, King of the Hill, Racing Kings, and Three-check). On the other hand, if you’re looking for slow games, Lichess has a space for “correspondence” duels.

At the same time, on Lichess you’ll discover training and learning sections dedicated to sharing the basic and intermediate fundamentals of chess, as well as a large number of interactive exercises, analysis tools, and educational videos with hours and hours of material. Finally, there’s the option to be a simple spectator, enjoying live games, streams, and tournaments organized on the servers.

**Lichess is free, open, and free of charge.** Thibault covers part of the cost out of his own pocket, while the rest relies on donations (whether in money or with additional servers) or on the sale of various items (t-shirts, mousepads, mugs, etc.). The design is clean, works flawlessly on all browsers, and we definitely recommend it.

**Official site:** Click here