The Best Chess Bots to Play Against Online

Chess has exploded in popularity over the last decade, driven in part by the accessibility of online platforms, streaming culture, and perhaps most importantly—the evolution of chess bots. Today, you don’t need a human opponent to sharpen your skills. Bots powered by advanced engines and neural networks are available 24/7, offering personalized, scalable challenges across all skill levels.

But with so many options out there, a natural question arises: Which are the best chess bots to play against online? Whether you’re a beginner looking for fun matches or a serious player wanting to train like a grandmaster, this article outlines the most powerful, educational, and entertaining bots currently available.

We’ll break down bots by platform, analyze what makes them unique, and help you decide which ones fit your goals.

Why Play Against Bots?

Before we dive into specific recommendations, it’s worth asking: why choose a bot over a human opponent?

Here are a few key reasons:

• Always Available: Bots never sleep, cancel, or rage-quit.

• Tailored Difficulty: You can pick your challenge level, from beginner to super-GM.

• Consistent Play: Unlike humans, bots don’t vary in emotional performance.

• Educational Value: Bots often follow patterns that highlight tactical or strategic concepts.

AI-driven bots can also be customized to reflect different playing styles—aggressive attackers, cautious defenders, or endgame specialists—making them perfect for focused training.

1. Stockfish (via Lichess)

Platform: Lichess.org

Strength: 1000 – 3500+ Elo (scalable)

Stockfish is the most powerful open-source chess engine in the world, and Lichess offers it in various levels for human practice.

Why it’s great:

• You can play against different levels, from easy (Level 1) to world-class (Level 8).

• Great for practicing opening theory and punishment of weak moves.

• The engine scales in both depth and speed, making it adjustable to your level.

Use case: Ideal for tactical training, opening testing, and endgame studies.

Drawback: Even at lower levels, the play can feel mechanical and unnatural—great for calculation, less so for simulating real human errors.

2. Leela Chess Zero (LCZero)

Platform: Run locally or play online (e.g., Chess.com bots use neural networks inspired by it)

Strength: 2500–3500 Elo

Leela Chess Zero is the neural network-based engine trained through self-play—very much like AlphaZero. Its play is intuitive, flexible, and more human-like than traditional engines.

Why it’s great:

• Exhibits deep strategic understanding and creativity.

• Makes long-term positional sacrifices that traditional bots might avoid.

• Often surprises players with “quiet” moves that shift the balance subtly.

Use case: Great for learning long-term positional ideas and playing against a “thinking” engine.

Drawback: Requires setup unless using a front-end or bot that mimics it. Not ideal for casual players due to its strength.

3. Chess.com Bots

Platform: Chess.com

Strength: 250 – 3200+ Elo

Chess.com’s bots are one of the most diverse and entertaining lineups available online. They’re categorized into:

• Rating-based bots: 1000–3000

• Character bots: Mimic various personalities (e.g., Antonio, Nelson)

• Famous players: Imitate styles of real GMs like Hikaru Nakamura or Magnus Carlsen

• AI-powered bots: Including the wildly popular “Mittens”

Why it’s great:

• Bots like Nelson (who loves early queen attacks) or Antonio (balanced play) simulate beginner patterns for training.

• The adaptive bots improve over time and show more human-style errors.

• The Celebrity Bots replicate playing styles of elite GMs and streamers.

Use case: Perfect for casual fun, themed training, and working on psychology (e.g., learning to beat “trickster” bots).

Drawback: Some bots are only available to premium members; not all styles are consistent with real game theory.

4. Maia Chess Bots (Lichess)

Platform: Lichess.org

Strength: Maia 1100 – Maia 1900

Maia bots are trained specifically on human games at their given rating level using deep learning. So Maia 1100 plays like an average 1100 human—not like a dumbed-down engine.

Why it’s great:

• Provides realistic human-like mistakes.

• Great for testing your progress or building confidence.

• Helps beginners transition from theory to practice.

Use case: Ideal for players between 1000–1900 Elo who want human-style opponents without the volatility of live opponents.

Drawback: Not useful above 2000 Elo; Maia bots lack tactical sharpness due to mimicking real human errors.

5. Komodo Dragon Bot (Chess.com)

Platform: Chess.com (Dragon-level bots)

Strength: 3000–3400+

Komodo is a commercially powerful engine that is sometimes used in Chess.com’s strongest bots, especially in bot vs. bot matches.

Why it’s great:

• Balanced between positional strength and tactics.

• Offers unique game styles different from Stockfish or Leela.

• Appears in themed matches like “Computer Chess Championships.”

Use case: Serious engine-based training for high-level players.

Drawback: Less accessible for beginners and mostly used behind the scenes unless you’re playing the highest-level bots.

6. Lucas Chess Engine Bots

Platform: Lucas Chess

Strength: 800–3000+ Elo

Lucas Chess is a downloadable software that includes dozens of built-in engines tailored for human play. It’s also highly customizable.

Why it’s great:

• Comes with various personalities (e.g., bots that make blunders, positional players).

• Tracks your progress over time.

• Works offline and doesn’t require an internet connection.

Use case: Great for long-term improvement, kids, or educational settings.

Drawback: Requires installation and isn’t cloud-based.

7. Play Magnus App Bots

Platform: Play Magnus App (iOS/Android)

Strength: Magnus Carlsen at age 5 to 30

This unique mobile app lets you play against “Magnus Carlsen at different ages,” trained to reflect his skill and play style at each developmental stage.

Why it’s great:

• Offers a progression-based learning experience.

• Each version of “Magnus” teaches something new—from blunders to brilliance.

• Offers coaching and training modules.

Use case: Ideal for casual players, Magnus fans, or kids learning chess.

Drawback: Limited replayability at higher levels unless used for nostalgic or instructional purposes.

Bot Matchups to Try for Fun

If you’re not just training but also looking for entertainment, try some of these popular bot matchups:

• Mittens vs. Stockfish: How does humor meet raw strength?

• Nelson vs. Antonio: Beginner bot battle of tricks vs. fundamentals.

• Maia vs. Maia: Simulate a realistic human tournament match.

• Leela vs. Stockfish: Engine wars—creative vs. brute-force.

Many platforms allow you to watch these matches live or replay them.

Which Bot Should You Choose?

Here’s a quick cheat sheet based on your skill level and goals:

Conclusion

Whether you’re a casual chess fan or a serious competitor, playing against bots can be one of the most powerful and flexible ways to improve. The best part? You control the pace, the level, and the style of your opponent.

From realistic human-like bots like Maia to superhuman titans like Leela and Stockfish, there’s never been a better time to train online. Add in the personality-packed bots on Chess.com, and you’ll never run out of motivation.

Ready to level up your game? Pick a bot today and play your best move.