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Chess articles — learn, compare and play smarter
Guides to playing and improving at chess for free: bots for every level, game review explained, playing friends online, and how ChessMess compares.
A free alternative to Chess.com premium featuresUnlimited game reviews, coaching while you play, bots of every level and play-with-friends links — all free on ChessMess, with no ads and no trial.How to play chess with a friend online (no sign-up needed)Three ways to start a private chess game with a friend in seconds: send a link, read out a 6-digit code, or scan a QR code. Free, with clocks and rematches.Chess bots for every level, from 250 to 3200Meet the ChessMess bot ladder: 19 characters with their own styles, from first-time beginners to grandmaster strength, plus an adaptive bot and full Stockfish.Chess game review explained: accuracy, blunders and brilliant movesWhat accuracy means, how moves are labelled from Brilliant to Blunder, how to read an evaluation graph, and how to use a game review to actually improve.How to get better at chess for free: a 4-week routineA simple 4-week plan to improve at chess using only free tools: coached games, game reviews, focused bot practice and games with friends.What is Stockfish? The chess engine behind ChessMessStockfish is the strongest open-source chess engine. Learn how it works, how strong it is, and how ChessMess runs Stockfish 19 in your browser for free.
How ChessMess works
Getting started with ChessMessWhat ChessMess is, what's free (everything), and how to play your first game against a bot, a friend or the coach in under a minute.Play chess against bots — 19 characters from 250 to 3200How the ChessMess bots work: human-like characters from beginner to grandmaster strength, an adaptive bot that grows with you, and full-strength Stockfish.Play chess with friends — invite by link, 6-digit code or QRCreate a game and invite a friend with a link, a 6-digit code or a QR code. No account needed. Or add friends by @handle and challenge them.