In this article, I’ll take you through Chess.com, a site known globally as the largest platform for chess.
Chess.com stands out for its vast user base, which includes top players and Grandmasters all around the world.
According to data from SEMRUSH, the website attracts about 25m users every month. Just mind-blowing!
User Interface and Profile: A Quick Overview
Let’s start with the user interface – It’s clean, well-organized, and packed with lots of features.
Upon logging in, you are immediately greeted by a menu bar on the left side of the screen with a plethora of options that include: Play, Puzzles, Learn, Watch, News, Social, and more.
If you have used the Lichess platform, you will undoubtedly find the user interface familiar.
In this review, you’ll get an insight into my profile – nothing too fancy, just the average chess enthusiast having some fun under the moniker “madman in chess”.
Getting Started: Selecting a Game
Ready to dive into a game? Select Play and choose your game type: a 1-minute bullet game, a 3-minute blitz game, 10-minute rapids, or even a longer correspondence game that takes days.
With Chess.com, it’s easy to customize your online experience to suit your preference and level of expertise.
Here’s a quick rundown on starting a game:
1. Select New Game
2. Decide on the game variant and time format
3. Start playing
Your Opponent: Humans, Computers, and Locked Features
Chess.com allows you to play against humans (including your friends) or computer bots to tailor to your needs.
If you’re into challenging yourself, head straight to the players’ leaderboard and pit yourself against the top players, asserting dominance or learning from a crushing defeat (either way you always improve).
Want more? Just upgrade to the premium account to unlock even more bot opponents and be free from ads.
Learning: Interactive Lessons and Chessable Courses
If you’re keen to hone your skills, Chess.com arguably offers one of the best learning resources available for chess players of all levels –
From Interactive Lessons that cover sections like openings, strategy, tactics, endgames, master games, etc, to links to Chessable Courses to improve your overall chess knowledge.
Lessons range from basics such as opening principles, and finding checkmates to intricate mastery skills.
Even if you are not subscribing to Chess.com to play games, it’s worth it for the lessons alone.
Staying Updated: News and Articles
Chess.com’s News tab offers the latest news from the chess community, including insightful articles penned by Grandmasters and International Masters.
Whether you want to stay updated on the latest tournaments, strategies, or player interviews, there is always something to keep you engaged.
Other Features
Chess.com is much more than just a platform to play Chess.
Here are some additional user-friendly features that enhance your chess journey:
– Puzzles: Similar to the puzzle feature on Lichess, Chess.com offers a vast collection of puzzles for you to solve and learn from. It’s a perfect way to practice between games.
– Social Features: This includes the ability to join clubs, connect with friends, and join user-driven forum discussions.
– Cloud-Based Analysis Board: To review and analyze your games.
– Live and On-Demand Video Lessons: High-quality video lessons from top players and instructors.
– Event Streaming: Watch live streams of major chess events.
Chess.com Pricing
Chess.com offers a 7-day free trial for anyone new to the site. The monthly cost for the Gold subscription is $7 per month, not bad.
If you want to get the Diamond subscription, then you’ll have to part with $17 per month. That’s somewhat pricey.
I usually recommend the Platinum subscription as it’s not as expensive as the Diamond subscription and contains more features than the Gold.
Will the subscriptions be good value for your money? Oh yes, it will.
You’re sure to get better at chess if you take the time to go through and study the lessons meticulously.
What I Don’t Like About Chess.com
I don’t like that the platform somewhat lags especially when you’re playing a fast-paced game like Bullet or Blitz.
Others have had this review and that’s why many tend to favor Lichess because of its crazy speed.
Anyway, I suspect that this problem might vary by region so it shouldn’t be a big worry.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Chess.com renders an intuitive and user-friendly platform for all types of chess enthusiasts, from beginners to grandmasters.
It passionately caters to your chess needs, from playing games and learning new strategies to connecting with the global chess community.
So, whether you’re just trying to beat your dad at a friendly match, or aiming to make it to the top ranks, Chess.com could be just the platform you need.
I hope you found this review valuable! As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
See you in the next post.