Play Chess Online
Play free chess games online with live challenges, guest play, the Wood bot, and time controls from Bullet to Classic.
- Bullet & Blitz
- Rapid & Classic
- Custom controls
- Unlimited games
Loading WoodChess...
Time controls
Games run from Bullet and Blitz for a fast few minutes, through Rapid and Classic when you want time to actually think, to Unlimited when you want no clock at all. You can also set your own time and increment instead of taking a preset.
Each time control carries its own rating, so a bad run of Bullet does not drag down the Rapid rating you care about.
Playing against the Wood bot
If nobody is around, the Wood bot is. It answers immediately, so there is no waiting in a lobby and no game abandoned halfway through — useful for trying an opening, warming up before a real game, or just playing a few moves without committing to an opponent.
Playing against other people
Post a challenge with the time control you want and wait for someone to take it, or accept a challenge already sitting in the lobby. Games are live: moves, clocks, draw offers and resignations all arrive in real time, and the clock keeps running while you think, exactly as it should.
You can also send a direct invite link to a specific person, which is the simplest way to play a friend who is not on the site yet.
Playing as a guest
You can start a game without registering — pick a time control and play. A free account adds a rating per time control, a history of your games you can replay afterwards, and the ability to pick up an unfinished game from another device.