Learn & help
Everything you need to know — whether you have never played chess or play every day.
Pick a mode
Play the computer to practise, send a link to a friend, or join someone in the public lobby.
Make your moves
Drag a piece, or click it and then click the target square. Dots show where it may go.
Learn from it
Let the coach comment on your moves and use the game review afterwards to find your mistakes.
The game modes
Play the computer
You play Stockfish, the strongest chess program in the world. It runs inside your browser — your games are not sent to the server. Eight levels take you from “just learned the rules” to “stronger than any human”. Takebacks and hints are always allowed, and the game is saved in your browser so you can continue after a break. No account needed
Play a friend (invite link)
Choose the settings, click “Create invite link” and send the link to your friend by chat or e-mail. The first person who opens it plays you. When you create it you decide whether guests may join or only registered players. Unused links expire after 30 minutes. Needs a free account to create
Public game (lobby)
Your game appears in the lobbies while you wait on its page (another tab is fine). Anybody can click “Join”; the game then starts and is only visible to the two of you (and people you give the link). Games without an opponent disappear after 20 minutes. Members can make a public game “members only”. No account needed
Quick pairing
One click on a clock such as 10+0: if somebody is waiting with the same clock, you play them immediately — otherwise your game waits in the lobby for the next player. Members can tick “only play registered players”. No account needed
E-mail match
A game without a clock that can last days or weeks: you move whenever you have time and get an e-mail when it is your turn. Invite a friend or offer it in the public list. Members only
You can have one open game at a time (an invite link or a public game), so the lobby stays free of spam. Starting a game closes your other open game automatically.
E-mail matches
An e-mail match is chess at your own pace — perfect if you do not have an hour in one piece. There is no clock: you make your move whenever it suits you, today, tomorrow or next week.
Start
Click “E-mail match” on the start page or “Start an e-mail match” in the lobbies, choose variant and colour, and either send the invite link to a friend or offer the match in the public list.
Play
After your move you can close the page. Your opponent gets an e-mail with a link; when they have moved, you get one.
Keep it alive
If nobody moves for 14 days, the match is deleted and does not count. The player to move gets a reminder 4 days before.
Both players need a free account, because the e-mails go to your account address. You can switch the e-mails off on your account page — then check your running matches there. You can play up to 20 e-mail matches at the same time and offer up to 3 open ones.
Messages, chat and safety
Whoever creates a game decides how the players can talk:
| Chat | Messages in your own words (up to 300 characters). Default for invite links and e-mail matches. |
| Quick messages | Only predefined messages such as “Good luck!”, “Nice move!”, “One moment, please”, “Are you still there?” or “Good game!”. Default for public games. |
| No messages | Just chess. |
The chat is not read or moderated by people — only the two players see it, spectators never do. An automatic filter protects you:
- links and web addresses (also written as “example dot com”) are not delivered;
- e-mail addresses, phone numbers and @handles are not delivered — never share contact details with strangers;
- severe insults are replaced by
****, threats are not delivered, shouting is turned into lower case.
If someone bothers you anyway:
- Turn off in the messages box stops all messages in this game — for both sides. Only you can turn them on again.
- Block ends all contact: the player cannot join your games and you will not see theirs. Members' blocks are saved (lift them on the account page); guests' blocks last until the server restarts.
- Something illegal — threats, hate? Report it with the game link, time and a screenshot via the Impressum. See also the terms of use.
Relaxed or strict?
When you create an online game you choose its style; your opponent sees it before joining.
Relaxed
Helpers are allowed: dots show where a piece can go, you can mark your pieces in danger, opening names are shown, and takebacks are possible if the creator enabled them. Good for beginners and friendly games.
Strict
Like a tournament: no takebacks, no move dots, no danger marks and no opening names until the game is over. Premoves still work. The game review is available afterwards as usual.
Against the computer you choose the help level: Learning (coach, pieces in danger, hints, takebacks), Normal (hints and takebacks when you ask) or Strict (no help at all).
Chess in 5 minutes
Chess is played on a board of 8 × 8 squares. Each player has 16 pieces: White starts at the bottom, Black at the top, and White always moves first. Players take turns moving one piece. The goal is to checkmate the enemy king — to attack it so that it cannot escape.
You capture an enemy piece by moving onto its square. Pieces cannot jump over other pieces — except the knight.
King priceless
Moves one square in any direction. It may never move onto a square where it could be captured. Protect it at all costs!
Queen worth 9
The strongest piece: moves any number of squares straight or diagonally.
Rook worth 5
Moves any number of squares straight: forwards, backwards or sideways.
Bishop worth 3
Moves any number of squares diagonally, so it always stays on the same colour.
Knight worth 3
Jumps in an “L”: two squares in one direction, then one to the side. It is the only piece that can jump over others.
Pawn worth 1
Moves one square forward (two on its very first move) but captures one square diagonally forward. It never moves backwards.
The numbers are the usual value of each piece. The +3 next to a player's name shows who has more material: it helps you judge a trade.
Special moves
Castling
Once per game the king may move two squares towards a rook, and that rook jumps over to the square next to the king. Allowed only if neither piece has moved, no piece stands between them, and the king is not in check and does not pass through an attacked square. To castle here, move the king two squares (or onto the rook).
Promotion
A pawn that reaches the last row becomes a queen, rook, bishop or knight — you choose. Almost always a queen. (Settings: “Always promote to queen”.)
En passant
If a pawn moves two squares and lands right next to an enemy pawn, that enemy pawn may capture it as if it had moved only one square — but only on the very next move.
Check
When your king is attacked you are “in check” and must get out of it right away: move the king, block the attack, or capture the attacker. The game warns you in red.
How a game ends
| Result | What happened |
|---|---|
| Checkmate (win) | The king is in check and there is no legal move to escape. |
| Resignation (win) | A player gives up. |
| Time out (win) | A player's clock reaches zero. If the opponent has too few pieces to ever checkmate, it is a draw instead. |
| Stalemate (draw) | The player to move has no legal move but is not in check. |
| Draw | By agreement, when the same position appears three times, after 50 moves without a capture or pawn move, or when nobody can checkmate any more (e.g. king against king). |
| Aborted | The game was cancelled before both players moved. It does not count. |
Results are written as 1-0 (White won), 0-1 (Black won) or ½-½ (draw).
Clocks and time controls
A time control like 5+3 means: each player has 5 minutes for the whole game, and 3 seconds are added after every move they make. Your clock only runs while it is your turn — and only from your second move on. If it reaches zero, you lose.
| Category | Typical clocks | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet | 1+0, 2+1 | Very fast games, for experienced players |
| Blitz | 3+0, 3+2, 5+0, 5+3 | Quick games with a little time to think |
| Rapid | 10+0, 10+5, 15+10 | Recommended for beginners |
| Classical | 30+0, 30+20 | Long, careful games |
| No clock | ∞ | Computer games and relaxed games with friends |
Useful: premoves (make your move while the opponent is thinking; it is played instantly when possible) and +15s (give your opponent 15 seconds, e.g. after a disconnect).
Computer levels
| Level | Name | Rough strength | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beginner | ≈ 400 | Makes lots of mistakes on purpose. Perfect if you just learned the rules. |
| 2 | Novice | ≈ 700 | Still gives away pieces now and then. |
| 3 | Casual | ≈ 1000 | Plays sensible moves but overlooks tricks. |
| 4 | Intermediate | ≈ 1300 | A solid hobby player. |
| 5 | Club player | ≈ 1600 | Punishes mistakes — you need a plan. |
| 6 | Advanced | ≈ 1900 | A strong tactician. |
| 7 | Expert | ≈ 2200 | Master strength. |
| 8 | Maximum | ≈ 2800+ | Full strength — stronger than any human. |
The ratings are rough estimates. After a win the game suggests the next level — climb one step at a time.
Every level you have won against gets a tick — in the level choice, on the start page and after each game — so you can see how far you have climbed. The record is kept in your browser; with a free account it is also saved in your account and follows you to all your devices (levels you beat in a browser before logging in are added when you log in there). Games from a custom start position do not count.
Coach, hints and game review
Coach (computer games): after each of your moves a second engine checks it and tells you how good it was. For mistakes it shows the better move and offers “Take back and try again”.
Pieces in danger: red circles mark your pieces that the opponent can capture for free — a great habit trainer.
Hint: shows the best move as a green arrow. Analyse: a live evaluation bar (+1.0 means White is ahead by about a pawn).
Game review (after any standard or Chess960 game, also online): checks every move of both players, shows an accuracy score, the evaluation graph and marks moves:
| Mark | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ★ Best | Exactly the engine's first choice. |
| Excellent / Good | Hardly any loss. |
| Book | A known opening move. |
| ?! Inaccuracy | Not bad, but something was better. |
| ? Mistake | Gives the opponent a real chance. |
| ?? Blunder | Loses a lot — often a piece or the game. |
All engine work happens on your device. The opening name (e.g. “Italian Game”) above the moves comes from the free lichess opening database.
Variants
Chess960
The pieces on the back row are shuffled (960 possible setups), so opening knowledge does not help. Castling still works: the king and rook end on the usual squares.
King of the Hill
Normal chess, but bringing your king to one of the four centre squares (d4, d5, e4, e5) also wins.
Three-check
Give check three times and you win. The red marks next to the names count the checks.
Antichess
Capturing is compulsory. The goal is to lose all your pieces (or be stalemated). The king is an ordinary piece.
Atomic
Every capture causes an explosion that removes all pieces (except pawns) around it — including the capturing piece. Blow up the enemy king to win.
Horde
White has 36 pawns and no king; Black has a normal army. Black wins by capturing every white piece, White by checkmating.
Racing Kings
No pawns, both sides start on the first ranks. The first king to reach the eighth rank wins. Giving check is not allowed.
From position
Against the computer you can start from any position by pasting a FEN — handy for practising endgames.
Controls and shortcuts
| Move a piece | Drag it, or click it and then the target square |
| Draw arrows / circles | Right-click and drag (circles: right-click a square) |
| Browse the moves | ← → one move, ↑/Home start, ↓/End latest, or the mouse wheel over the board |
| Flip the board | F |
| Board, pieces, sounds | The gear icon in the top bar — 13 board themes, 4 piece sets, dark/light, and every group of sounds (moves, game start and end, alerts, low time) on its own |
| Mute all sounds | The speaker icon in the top bar |
| Moves, messages, review | The tabs above the move list; a red number shows new messages |
Accounts and privacy
Do I need an account?
What do you store about me?
Someone insulted me — what can I do?
I did not get the activation e-mail.
I forgot my password.
My account is locked.
How do I delete my account or download my data?
Fair play
- No engines or help in games against people. The coach, hints and analysis are only available against the computer and after a game.
- Be nice. No insults, no spam, no links, no asking for contact details. Offensive usernames are removed; report them via the contact details in the Impressum. The full rules are in the terms of use.
- Don't abort on purpose. Repeatedly cancelling public games right after they start blocks you from the public lobby for a while.
- Stay until the end. If you have to leave, resign or offer a draw — after 30 seconds away your opponent may claim the game.
- Make your first move. In games with a clock each player has one minute for the first move (two minutes in invite games), otherwise the game is cancelled. Waiting in another tab? Click “Alert me when someone joins” on the waiting screen and you will hear a sound when the game starts.