# Online Chess site, which if best & FREE? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 19, 2015, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077 "2015-02-19T10:46:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/1 "2015-02-19T10:46:18Z")
Howdy! Well wouldn’t you know it? There I was a moment ago filling out some info to join a “free” Chess website when the second click in said I’d get three free games per day for the first three days and then from there have to start paying!:mad: The moment following that massive wave of disappointment roll through my psyche, I quickly regained my composure and thought about you brilliant and fair-minded folks, and how you could likely direct me to a place that will be hours and hours of great fun with the possibility of playing REAL human beings from most corners of the planet!🙂 Ideally, such a website would be easy to use and get an account set-up without going through a lot of hoops, as well as be one where a person would have the option of playing a computer instead of a person. (This old computer I’m using was given to me and I’m not sure if it has a chess game built into it. Hmmm.) Also, I much prefer a Classic-looking chessboard and pieces (though beggars aren’t supposed to be choosers:o), as it’s too confusing to have ice cream cones for pawns while the rooks look like cheeseburgers.:smack: I thank you folks in advance for taking the time!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/2 "2015-02-19T13:58:25Z")
I use [chess.com](http://chess.com). I think a free account gives you everything you’re asking for (you can choose from a variety of piece/board designs, play the computer, and I’m pretty sure there’s not a limit on the games you can play). ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/3 "2015-02-19T14:37:57Z")
> [@Mithras](#): > > I use [chess.com](http://chess.com). I think a free account gives you everything you’re asking for (you can choose from a variety of piece/board designs, play the computer, and I’m pretty sure there’s not a limit on the games you can play). Thanks Much! I will for sure look into it. ---
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/4 "2015-02-19T15:42:51Z")
[pogo.com](http://pogo.com) has chess as one of their many games, you can play a person or a robot and choose the degree of difficulty I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/5 "2015-02-19T16:50:26Z")
> [@MrsTime](#): > > [pogo.com](http://pogo.com) has chess as one of their many games, you can play a person or a robot and choose the degree of difficulty I believe. Thank you for informing me of that, I’ll check it out.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/6 "2015-02-19T16:52:50Z")
I’m going to pawn this one off on the Game Room. Check and mate. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/7 "2015-02-19T17:16:41Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I’m going to pawn this one off on the Game Room. > > Check and mate. I’m sorry, Mod; I keep screwing up trying to figure just where I should post my posts, don’t mean to. Old age is my excuse.:o ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/8 "2015-02-19T17:29:49Z")
> [@Dibbs](#): > > I’m sorry, Mod; I keep screwing up trying to figure just where I should post my posts, don’t mean to. Old age is my excuse.:o Absolutely none necessary. For what it’s worth, although I’m not a chess player, I have played other games on [Pogo.com](http://Pogo.com) and enjoy the site. So I’ll join **MrsTime** in that recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/9 "2015-02-19T20:02:29Z")
Yahoo has chess in its games section. ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/10 "2015-02-19T20:20:19Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Absolutely none necessary. > > For what it’s worth, although I’m not a chess player, I have played other games on [Pogo.com](http://Pogo.com) and enjoy the site. So I’ll join **MrsTime** in that recommendation. Thank you, sir. And I can’t wait to check out that website just as soon as I get some sleep…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dibbs)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/11 "2015-02-19T20:22:34Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > Yahoo has chess in its games section. Thanks for letting me know, it’s one more I’ll for sure checkout later.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/12 "2015-02-20T13:58:15Z")
I’m glad someone asked this! I have a follow up question too. I can’t get to them from here at work to see, but do those sites have lots of ads and other windows that you can click on? I’m looking for a chess site for one of my kids and would prefer one where he can’t accidently kill the computer. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/13 "2015-02-21T19:04:15Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > I can’t get to them from here at work to see, but do those sites have lots of ads and other windows that you can click on? Friends don’t let friends surf without Adblock. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/14 "2015-02-21T19:12:42Z")
I’ve been thinking about getting into online chess myself. Anyone else want to weigh in with a review of the site they use? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/15 "2015-02-24T01:51:39Z")
I downloaded the chess computer app from [chess.com](http://chess.com) and don’t like it much because (although it still usually beats me!) it doesn’t use any recognizable openings, so I don’t feel like I’m learning anything from the losses that I could easily apply to other games. Basically it moves both Knights out on its first two moves no matter what I do. Never tried playing other humans on there. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/16 "2015-02-24T08:40:13Z")
Paging **glee**. ---
**Author:** ![BenOliver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@BenOliver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BenOliver)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/17 "2015-04-15T22:55:05Z")
[en.lichess.org](http://en.lichess.org/) is the best. 960, three check, atomic chess, etc and free training as well. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-chess-site-which-if-best-free/713077/18 "2015-04-15T23:44:41Z")
I recommend [gameknot.com](http://gameknot.com). I’m [vratislav](http://gameknot.com/stats.pl?vratislav) on there.