Lichess.org
Lichess.org begins with a simple idea: everyone should have access to a high-quality online chess platform, regardless of whether they can afford a subscription.
The site was started in 2010 as a hobby project by French programmer Thibault Duplessis. What began as a relatively simple chess server gradually grew through the work of developers, administrators, translators, donors, and other volunteers. Today, Lichess is one of the world’s most widely used online chess communities.
Its name combines the words “live” and “chess.” More important than the name, however, is the philosophy behind it. Lichess is free, open-source software supported primarily by donations. It does not reserve its strongest learning or analysis tools for paying members.
Finding a Game
Lichess allows players to find an online opponent at almost any time of day. Games can be played at several speeds, ranging from very fast bullet and blitz games to rapid, classical, and correspondence chess.
Players can enter a general pool and be paired with someone of similar strength, challenge a friend directly, join a team, or participate in an online tournament. The site also supports several chess variants for players who want to experiment with forms of the game beyond standard chess.
Correspondence games allow players considerably more time to make each move. This can be useful for friends who want to play together but cannot arrange a time when both are available.
For players who enjoy competition, Lichess offers arena and Swiss-system tournaments. Arena tournaments encourage players to complete as many games as possible during a specified period. Swiss tournaments pair players with others who have achieved similar results as the event progresses.
Puzzles and Practice
Lichess provides an extensive collection of tactical puzzles drawn from positions that occurred in actual games. Players can solve general puzzles or concentrate on particular themes, such as forks, pins, discovered attacks, defensive moves, or endgame tactics.
Several puzzle formats add variety. Puzzle Streak challenges the player to solve increasingly difficult positions without making a mistake. Puzzle Storm emphasizes speed. Puzzle Racer allows several players to compete while solving puzzles.
The Practice section offers guided exercises covering common tactical patterns, checkmates, and basic endgames. These resources can help newer players recognize ideas that repeatedly appear in real games.
Because the tools are freely available, players can practice as often as they wish without encountering a daily limit or being asked to upgrade to another membership level.
Analysis and Studies
After completing a game, a player can examine it with the Lichess analysis board. The site uses the open-source Stockfish chess engine to identify mistakes and suggest stronger alternatives.
The “Learn from your mistakes” feature returns the player to important positions and asks for a better move. This turns game analysis into an active exercise rather than simply presenting a list of computer evaluations.
Lichess Studies provide another powerful learning tool. A Study can contain games, positions, written comments, arrows, alternative variations, and computer analysis. Studies may remain private, be shared with selected people, or be made public.
A player can use a Study as a personal chess notebook. A teacher can use one to work with students. A local club can use one to examine games from a recent event or preserve an annotated collection of member games.
Lichess also allows games to be imported and exported using PGN, the standard text format for recording chess games. This makes it possible to move games between Lichess and other chess programs or archives.
Free, Open Source, and Supported by Donations
Lichess describes itself as a free and open-source chess server powered by volunteers and donations. Its source code is publicly available for people to inspect, use, and improve.
The site does not display advertising or place advanced features behind a subscription paywall. Players may choose to become Patrons by donating, but Patrons receive the same chess features as everyone else. The contribution supports the servers, development, and other costs required to operate the site.
This model gives Lichess a noticeably different character from a commercial subscription service. It may not offer the same kind of packaged instructional presentation found on some paid platforms, but it provides an unusually broad collection of playing, practice, tournament, and analysis tools without charge.
Understanding Lichess Ratings
Lichess maintains separate ratings for different types of chess, including bullet, blitz, rapid, classical, and correspondence games. A player may therefore have several ratings on the site.
A Lichess rating should not be directly compared with a Chess.com, US Chess, or FIDE rating. Each organization uses its own player population, starting values, calculations, and competitive environment. A person’s Lichess rating may be noticeably different from a rating earned elsewhere without either number being incorrect.
The most useful comparison is with your own previous rating on the same platform and at the same time control. Over many games, that trend can provide a reasonable indication of progress.
A Good Place to Explore
Lichess contains enough features that a new visitor may not discover everything immediately. A sensible beginning is to create a free account, play a few games at a comfortable time control, try several puzzles, and analyze one completed game.
Players who want to go further can explore Studies, tournaments, opening tools, broadcasts, teams, and the large public database of games.
Lichess demonstrates what can happen when programmers, volunteers, donors, and chess players build something around a shared principle: the opportunity to play and learn chess should be open to everyone.
Official website: Lichess.org
Posted in play--practice by Chess Resources