What is Chess.com?
Chess.com is the biggest chess site in the world, with well over a hundred million registered accounts and games running every second of the day. You can play a one-minute bullet game, a slow daily game with days per move, or a match against bots that imitate real playing styles, and the site pairs you with people of your own rating.
Beyond playing, it is a complete chess club: thousands of puzzles, video lessons, an opening explorer, event coverage with commentary, clubs, tournaments and a game review that explains your mistakes. It has been online since 2007 and also runs ChessKid, a safer version for children.
Main Features
- Live and daily play: bullet, blitz, rapid and daily games with automatic matchmaking.
- Bots: computer opponents at every level, including ones that copy famous players.
- Puzzles: tactics puzzles, Puzzle Rush and Puzzle Battle against other people.
- Lessons: structured video courses from beginner to advanced.
- Game Review: an engine walks through your game and names the mistakes.
- Variants: Chess960, bughouse, crazyhouse, four player chess and more.
- Community: clubs, forums, streamer events and live coverage of big tournaments.
How to Get Started with Chess.com
- Go to chess.com and create a free account, or sign in with Google or Apple.
- Choose Play, pick a time control and let the site find an opponent.
- After the game, open Game Review to see where it went wrong.
- Spend a few minutes a day on Puzzles and the free lessons to improve.
- Join a club or follow a tournament once you want more than casual games.
Chess.com Pricing
Playing is free with an account, including unlimited live and daily games, bots and a daily allowance of puzzles and lessons. Paid memberships, called Gold, Platinum and Diamond, remove the ads and the daily limits and unlock unlimited puzzles, lessons and game reviews. Prices vary by country and billing period, and a free account is enough to play as much chess as you like.
Who Should Use It?
- Beginners who want lessons, puzzles and friendly opponents in one place.
- Club and tournament players looking for strong opposition at any hour.
- Anyone who wants a game explained to them after it ends.
- Fans following top events with live commentary.
Chess.com Alternatives
- Lichess: the free, open-source rival with no ads and no paid tier.
- Sudoku.com: a different kind of puzzle for the same daily habit.
- TypeRacer: another quick, rated contest against live opponents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chess.com free?
Yes, for playing. A free account gives you unlimited games against people and bots. The paid memberships add unlimited puzzles, lessons and game reviews and remove ads, but you never need one to play.
Chess.com or Lichess?
Chess.com has the bigger player base, the lessons and the event coverage. Lichess is fully free with no ads and a cleaner interface. Many players keep accounts on both.
Can I play Chess.com without an account?
You can play against the computer as a guest, but games against people and anything that needs a rating require a free account.