Overview
The speaker shares their strong preference for Lichess as their primary online chess platform, comparing its features, pricing, and usability to Chess.com from a user's perspective.
Platform Comparison: Lichess vs Chess.com
- Lichess is used daily by the speaker for playing, studying, and creating YouTube content.
- Chess.com has a much larger player base but Lichess still offers instant matchmaking.
- Chess.com ratings at lower levels may be inflated by up to 200 ELO compared to Lichess; higher ratings tend to align.
- Chess.com excels in offering a variety of chess variants not present on Lichess.
Pricing and Accessibility
- Lichess is completely free, open source, and ad-free, with donations optional and no locked features.
- Chess.com charges for core features (puzzles, lessons, analysis) with tiered monthly and annual pricing.
- Paying for Chess.com provides access to superior quality lessons and puzzles, but at a significant cost.
Core Features and User Experience on Lichess
- Unlimited puzzle access on Lichess, including themed and opening-specific puzzles.
- Full postgame analysis, including engine review, is free on Lichess.
- Puzzle features include learning from mistakes, streaks, and timed puzzle modes (e.g., Puzzle Storm).
- The study section contains community-contributed lessons, interactive book studies, and opening guides.
- Setting up and analyzing custom positions is straightforward and can be used for content creation.
- Broadcasts and high-level games can be viewed live directly from the platform.
- Two mobile apps are available (standard and beta), with the beta offering a smoother experience.
Value and Personal Preference
- Lichess is praised for being open source, free, and community-driven, despite some user-generated content being of mixed quality.
- The speaker values Lichess’s mission and accessibility over Chess.com’s premium content.
- Chess.com is acknowledged as a strong platform worth the cost for those who can afford premium content.
Recommendations / Advice
- For those who value free access and open source philosophy, Lichess is recommended.
- Chess.com is more suitable for users seeking high-quality video lessons and extensive variants, and who are able to pay.
- The beta app for Lichess is highly recommended for a better mobile experience.