Play chess online
Chess1 runs entirely in your browser — no download, no install. Create an account or start playing as a guest: every online game is validated by the server move by move, and rated games are stored with your history.
Quick match
Press one button and the server pairs you with the first compatible player. Matchmaking follows the time control you choose, so a bullet player is never paired with a rapid challenge.
- Bullet — 1 minute + 0 increment
- Blitz — 5 minutes + 3 seconds
- Rapid — 10 minutes + 0 increment
- Unlimited — no clocks at all
Open challenges
Prefer to choose your opponent's terms? Post a challenge — rated or casual, your preferred color, your clock — and watch the public list until someone accepts it, or accept someone else's challenge yourself.
Ratings
Rated games update your Glicko-2 rating — the same system used by Lichess, which tracks not only your strength but also how certain the system is about it. Casual games change nothing, and guests can always play through private friend links.
Life happens
If your connection drops mid-game, the opponent waits: the server holds the seat for 30 seconds, or for the remaining clock time when it is shorter, before the game is decided.
Related ways to play
- Play chess vs computer — Stockfish in your browser, five levels
- Play chess with a friend — private game by link, no registration