The Best Free Chess Resources Online: A Complete Guide for Learners and Enthusiasts
Whether you’re a beginner learning how to move the pieces or an advanced player preparing for tournaments, the internet is a goldmine of chess resources. Even better, many of the best tools and materials are completely free. From online platforms and training tools to videos, puzzles, and databases, the modern chess student has an unprecedented advantage—access to professional-grade instruction and practice material without spending a dime.
In this article, we’ll explore the best free chess resources online, categorized by:
Learning platforms
Tactics and puzzles
Game analysis tools
Opening preparation
Video lessons and streaming
PGN/game databases
Chess engines and tools
Communities and forums
Apps and mobile tools
1. Best Free Online Chess Platforms
Lichess.org
Perhaps the most well-rounded free platform on the internet, Lichess is completely open-source and ad-free. It offers:
Unlimited games (bullet, blitz, rapid, classical)
Puzzle training and puzzle streak
Opening explorer
Game analysis with Stockfish
Tournaments and arena events
Studies (for collaborative learning)
Lichess is especially beloved for its clean interface, free advanced analysis tools, and mobile app.
Chess.com (Free Tier)
While Chess.com has a premium model, its free features are still rich and useful:
Play unlimited live games
Puzzles (limited per day)
Post-game analysis with engine suggestions
Daily chess (correspondence-style)
Opening explorer (limited depth)
While the free plan includes ads and limits puzzle/rated analysis use, it’s still a great place for casual play and improvement.
2. Best Free Tactics and Puzzle Trainers
Lichess Puzzles
Lichess offers unlimited puzzles, puzzle streak mode, and thematic tactics. It uses machine learning to categorize puzzles by motifs (e.g., fork, pin, decoy), which is excellent for structured training.
ChessTempo
While some advanced tools are behind a paywall, ChessTempo still provides:
A large, high-quality tactics database
Custom puzzle sets
Endgame training
Its puzzles are based on real games and tailored by difficulty and theme.
Chess.com Puzzles (Free Tier)
With a daily limit, you can still access strong tactical exercises and the fun Puzzle Rush mode, where you solve as many puzzles as possible in a time limit.
3. Free Game Analysis Tools
Lichess Cloud Analysis
Post-game, Lichess allows full engine analysis (Stockfish 16+), including:
Blunder/mistake detection
Accuracy scores
Evaluation graph
Opening names
Move-by-move annotations
The cloud analysis is free and unlimited, making Lichess a top pick for players wanting to understand their mistakes.
DecodeChess (Freemium)
This unique tool explains engine suggestions in plain English. The free tier offers limited uses per day, but it’s excellent for understanding why a move is strong.
4. Free Opening Tools
Lichess Opening Explorer
See how openings perform statistically and browse master games. It includes:
Lichess player database
Masters database (games by rated 2200+ players)
Computer opening book
ChessBase Online (Free Browser Version)
ChessBase offers a web-based interface that allows access to their database and opening explorer—a powerful tool to see how top-level games develop from any opening.
Chessable (Free Courses)
Chessable uses “spaced repetition” to help you memorize openings and tactics. Some courses are paid, but many beginner and intermediate ones are free, including:
Opening primers
Endgame basics
Tactics guides
5. Free Video Lessons and Streaming
YouTube Chess Channels
There are countless great chess content creators. Some top free options:
GothamChess (Levy Rozman): Beginner to advanced tutorials, game reviews, and tips
John Bartholomew: Classical instruction, “Climbing the Rating Ladder” series
ChessNetwork: Play-by-plays with insightful commentary
Hanging Pawns: Excellent opening and concept tutorials
St. Louis Chess Club: Lectures by grandmasters and masters on all aspects of the game
Twitch Streaming
Watch live games, commentary, and casual play by streamers like:
GM Hikaru Nakamura (GMHikaru)
IM Eric Rosen (EricRosen)
WFM Alexandra Botez (BotezLive)
Chessbrah (GM Eric Hansen and team)
Streams offer a blend of education and entertainment.
6. Free PGN and Game Databases
Lichess Game Database
Search master games or filter by rating, time control, or opening. You can download PGNs and study lines directly on the site.
ChessBase Live Database
Provides a massive searchable archive of high-level games. Filter by player, event, or position.
The Week in Chess (TWIC)
One of the oldest sources for up-to-date professional games. Offers weekly downloads of PGNs from recent tournaments.
365Chess
Useful for looking up individual games by position or player. Also features game collections by famous players.
7. Free Chess Engines and Analysis Tools
Stockfish (Open Source)
The world’s strongest engine—and it’s free. You can:
Install Stockfish locally and pair with a GUI (like Arena, Scid, or CuteChess)
Use it in web apps like Lichess and ChessBase online
Leela Chess Zero (Lc0)
A neural network-based engine inspired by AlphaZero. It requires setup but offers a different evaluation style than Stockfish.
Arena GUI
A free, open-source interface for running engines and analyzing games offline.
8. Best Free Chess Communities and Forums
r/chess (Reddit)
A vibrant community for discussing games, sharing puzzles, and asking questions. Moderated and beginner-friendly.
Chess.stackexchange.com
A Q&A-style forum where you can ask about rules, strategy, analysis, and more.
Lichess and Chess.com Forums
Both platforms host active forums on openings, tactics, improvement, and tournaments.
Discord Chess Servers
Many streamers, coaches, and platforms host free Discord communities where players can interact and learn together.
9. Best Free Chess Apps for Mobile
Lichess (iOS/Android)
Free play, puzzles, analysis, studies, and tournaments
Completely open-source and no ads
Chess.com (iOS/Android)
Play games, puzzles, lessons
Some features limited in free version, but still very usable
CT-ART Lite (Android/iOS)
A classic tactics trainer with thousands of puzzles in structured lessons.
Chess Tactics Pro
Another highly-rated puzzle app with daily challenges and offline capabilities.
Conclusion: Learning Chess Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive
Gone are the days when improving at chess required costly books or private coaching (though those can still help). Today, thanks to the internet, you can:
Learn openings from titled players
Drill tactics with infinite puzzles
Analyze games with world-class engines
Watch grandmasters explain concepts
Join communities of learners
—all for free.
Whether you’re just beginning your journey or refining your tournament preparation, the best free chess resources online offer everything you need. All it takes is consistency, curiosity, and a willingness to keep learning.
