I play chess for free

The Internet has given a second youth to many classic, if not historical, games. Among these there are certainly chess , which can boast numerous digital transpositions to be played alone (challenging the artificial intelligence of computers, smartphones and tablets) or in the company of other users from all over the world.

I bet that you too cannot resist the charm of this immortal pastime, and that is why today I want to suggest you some free chess games thanks to which you can spend peaceful hours of leisure or – why not? – refine your strategies, in view of the next face-to-face challenges with your friends.

As already mentioned, there are both games to download on your computer and use offline, and multiplayer titles to play directly from the browser, or from smartphones and tablets: therefore choose the type of “match” that excites you the most right now and start right away. to have fun: I assure you, it’s worth it!

Index

  • Free chess game for PC
    • Arena Chess (Windows)
    • Chess (macOS)
    • Other free chess game programs for PC
  • Play free chess online
    • com
    • org
    • Other sites for free online chess games
  • Free chess game for tablet
    • Chess (Android / iOS / iPadOS)
    • Lichess (Android / iOS / iPadOS)
    • Other free chess game apps for tablets

Free chess game for PC

Are you looking for a chess game to install directly on your computer? In this case, you cannot not give a chance to the titles that I will list below.

Arena Chess (Windows)

The first offline free chess game I want to tell you about is  Arena Chess : if you had never heard of it, it is a free and open source software, available for Windows and Linux, which allows both to play online, challenging other users “in flesh and blood ”, and to challenge the computer, using a large number of game engines.

To obtain it, connected to this website , locate the Download  section  and click on the Arena XYZ setup link  , in order to download the program installation package.

Once you have obtained the file (eg arena_3.5.1setup.exe ), start it and, to install and start the program, click on the Yes ,  Next  buttons 5 consecutive times, Install  and  Finish .

If everything went well, Arena Chess should start automatically: first click on the English item ,  to select the English language, press the OK  button  and wait for the program interface to be completely loaded.

At this point, if you want to use the program as a  free offline chess game , thus going to challenge the computer, go to the Engines> Load engine  menu  and select the game engine to use, in order to start a new game. If, on the other hand, you prefer to challenge other players, click on the globe icon  , select one of the available networks (eg  freechess.org ) and choose whether to log in or play as a guest, using the appropriate buttons offered. Finally, click on  getgame , to search for a challenger to join your game. 

Chess (macOS)

Not everyone knows it, but on Macs the game of chess is included “as standard” in the macOS operating  system : the application in question is called  Chess , it is a free chess game against the computer , and can be called both from the Launchpad  (the rocket  icon  attached to the Dock bar), both from your computer’s Applications  folder .

Using Chess on macOS is very simple: to create a new game, access the Game> New  menu  of the program (top left) and, using the proposed screen, select the  game mode  (Normal, Suicide, WinPerdi and so on), the  difficulty level  and  game options  (player VS computer, computer VS player, player VS player or computer VS computer). Finally, click on the Start  button  and that’s it. Easier than that ?!

Other free chess game programs for PC

In addition to those seen above, there are many other computer programs dedicated to the game of chess: here are some of them.

  • Lucas Chess (Windows)– is a free Italian chess game for Windows 10  and for the previous versions of the Microsoft operating system, which allows you to challenge the computer using numerous game engines.
  • WinBoard (Windows)– chess game with simple and minimal graphics, which allows you to create challenges against the computer with six different game engines.
  • Stockfish Chess (Windows / macOS)– is one of the most powerful and flexible game engines in the world, capable of reaching the degree of “intelligence” of the Grand Masters. It must be used with a compatible program, such as Arena Chess.

Play free chess online

If you prefer to play chess through the browser , without installing any program and at no cost, you will be pleased to know that there are sites that offer this possibility: below you will list some of them.

Chess.com

One of the most long-lived and famous portals dedicated to chess is, of course, Chess.com : this site allows you to play for free online by challenging thousands of users all over the world (including Facebook friends). There is also the possibility of subscribing to the portal (with prices starting at € 5.49 / month) to unlock extra features, such as advanced chess tournaments and training resources.

In any case, to create a free account on Chess.com , connect to this website and click on the Play Now button  , located in the center. Next, choose whether to sign up using your  email address  (you will also need to provide a username and password), or whether to log in via Facebook  or  Google profile  .

If you opt for registration via email, remember that, once you have filled out the form and signed the data, you will have to visit the confirmation link that will be sent to you by e-mail, otherwise most of the functions of the service will remain blocked.

Once you have registered on the portal, you can finally start playing: therefore choose the game cadence , the  type of game (standard, 960 live / Fischer, third check and so on) and, when you are ready, click on the Play  button to create a new game.

If you prefer, you can also challenge another friend registered on Chess.com ( Challenge a friend tab  ) or play against the computer ( Challenge the computer tab  ). All very simple, isn’t it?

Lichess.org

Another very famous portal dedicated to chess is Lichess.org : it is an open source and free chess game, which can be played directly through the browser (or through apps for smartphones and tablets, as you will soon discover). A special feature of Lichess is the ability to play without registering and to use numerous learning tools, in order to refine your skills.

To use it, connect to this website and click on the Create a game button  ,  to create a new match open to all (which can be accessed by other random challengers), defining, when requested, the various game options: the variant (Standard, Chess960, Horde, and so on), the timing of the game and the color of the pieces.

Alternatively, you can create a game in which to invite your friends, using the  Play with a friend button , or challenge the artificial intelligence by pressing the  Play against the computer button . If you prefer, you can also access the game tables created by other users, choosing whether to prefer correspondence games or timed games. Finally, if you prefer to access a tournament, you just have to click on the Play  menu  and then on the Tournaments item  .

Note : While joining lichess.org is not required for the game, you must be logged in to keep track of your progress and scores. To create a free account, click on the Enter  button  located on the home page (top right) and then on  Register .

Other sites for free online chess games

In addition to those that I have listed above, there are many other sites specialized in the game of online chess. Below I list the ones that, in my opinion, are the best.

  • it – it is a free portal that allows you to play chess in multiplayer mode. It is possible to eliminate the advertising banners present and unlock all the functions of the portal by subscribing to the service, with prices starting from € 6.95 / month.
  • com– another site specialized in the game of chess, can be used both in guest mode (without the possibility of keeping track of your scores) and after registering for a free account.
  • Chess by Gioco.it– the chess section of the famous video game portal really contains a large number of titles: all you have to do is find the one you like best!

Free chess game for tablet

Do you prefer to play chess on your  Android tablet  or on your iPad? Then let me list some of the best free apps dedicated to this game, obviously also available for smartphones.

Chess (Android / iOS / iPadOS)

The first application that I invite you to consider is  Chess , the “companion” app of the Chess.com site , which I told you about in one of the previous chapters of this guide.

Available for Android , iOS and iPadOS tablets , Chess is basically a free app but, if you want, you can subscribe to a paid plan (with prices starting from € 5.49 / month) that allows you to unlock extra functions, such as possibility to participate in advanced chess tournaments.

Anyway, after downloading and installing the app, launch it and tap the Sign In  and  Sign Up buttons  to log into the Chess.com portal . Therefore, type the  username  you wish to use in the appropriate field, tap the Create username button and choose whether to register via email address (you will then need to indicate an access password), Facebook or Google

After registering and logging in, you just have to start playing immediately: therefore select the type of game you want to face ( open challenge  , game  with a friend ,  tournament , game  against the computer and so on), define the details of the game, using the appropriate fields (difficulty level, color of the pieces, cadence and so on) and, when you are finished, touch the Play / Start button ,  to start the new game, depending on the chosen modes. Happy?

Lichess (Android / iOS / iPadOS)

Another excellent app that I recommend you to evaluate is lichess , the mobile counterpart of the aforementioned Lichess.org portal : available for free for Android , iOS and iPadOS , it allows you to play against both artificial intelligence alone and online, against players from all over the world (without the need to register).

After starting the app, use the buttons and options that are proposed to you, to quickly create a game to play against the computer (you can use the buttons indicating  cadence + increment per move ), or, using the options placed a little more below, choose whether to  create a new online game  ,  play with a friend  or  against the computer .

If you wish, you can also take advantage of the Tournament and Training modes : to access them, tap the  button located at the top left to call up the main menu and choose the game mode you like best. If necessary, refine the game options (cadence / clock, recovery by move, variant, difficulty level, color of pieces / side, and so on) according to your preferences and finally touch the button at the bottom (eg Play against the computer ) to start the game.

However, keep in mind that, to keep track of game progress and your personal score, you must register for free at the game portal: from the main menu of the app, then tap the entry button Enter , tap the Register  button and follow the instructions provided on the screen to log in (you will need to provide a  valid email address  and  password  ).

Other free chess game apps for tablets

If the applications mentioned above were not to your liking, take a look at the alternatives that I propose below: I am sure that, among them, you will be able to find what you need.

  • Real Chess Android / iOS / iPadOS ) – this is a chess game whose graphics are based on spectacular, rather realistic 3D chessboards. The app allows you to play online and boasts a user base of over 1 million people worldwide. It’s free.
  • Chess (Chess Free)Android ) – this is an app dedicated to the game of chess with a simple but well-made interface, which allows you to play both online and against artificial intelligence. It’s free.
  • Chess iOS / iPadOS ) – another excellent for playing chess, allows you to start games by customizing the level of difficulty and many other details.

 

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