Is Lichess still online?
Yes. Lichess was online when we last checked.
Free, open-source, ad-free chess server run by a non-profit. Play anonymously or rated. [1]
What is Lichess?
“Free online chess server. Play chess in a clean interface. No registration, no ads, no plugin required. Play chess with the computer, friends or random opponents.”
From Wikipedia
Lichess (, LEE-ches) is an internet chess server that is free and open-source, run by a non-profit organization of the same name. Users of the site may play anonymously or register an account to play games to earn a rating on Lichess. Lichess is ad-free and all the features are available for free, as the site is funded by donations from patrons, who receive a special badge as thanks for their support. Its features include chess puzzles, computer analysis, tournaments and chess variants.
Excerpt from the Wikipedia article “Lichess”, by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified except for paragraph trimming.
In this directory, Lichess sits in the classic web collection and is tagged board (16 games), chess (4 games), 1v1 (13 games) and open source (8 games). It launched in 2010, which places it on our timeline.
Fact file
- Developer
- Thibault Duplessis, Niklas Fiekas
- Inception
- Jun 20, 2010
- Platforms
- web browser
Source: Wikidata (CC0). Wikidata is community-edited; corrections welcome there.
How to play
- 01Open lichess.org in a desktop or mobile browser. It is the official site; avoid “unblocked” mirrors.
- 02No account needed, according to the site:
No registration, no ads, no plugin required.
- 03The homepage doesn't list controls, so we don't guess. Most games show a tutorial or a “how to play” screen on first launch.
- 04Playing with friends:
Play chess with the computer, friends or random opponents.
Platform notes
- Browser
- Plays in the browser from lichess.org (our inclusion rule).
- Account
- Not required:
No registration, no ads, no plugin required.
- Mobile
- Not stated on the homepage.
Status history
| Checked (UTC) | Status | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2026, 08:46 UTC | Online | 144 ms |
| Oct 29, 2026, 08:24 UTC | Online | 305 ms |
Per-check history started on Oct 29, 2026. Status changes across all games are in the status log.
Lichess: FAQ
▸Is Lichess still online?
Yes. At our last check on Oct 29, 2026, 08:46 UTC, the official site at lichess.org responded normally (HTTP 200) in 144 ms. A site that answers doesn't guarantee busy servers, so if a lobby is empty, try a different time of day.
▸When did Lichess come out?
Lichess launched in 2010 (source: Wikidata).
▸Who made Lichess?
Wikidata lists Thibault Duplessis, Niklas Fiekas as the developer.
▸Do I need to download anything or make an account to play Lichess?
The official site says: "No registration, no ads, no plugin required."
▸What's the official Lichess website?
https://lichess.org/. Still Online only links to official game sites, never to re-uploads or mirror sites.
▸What games are similar to Lichess?
If you like Lichess, try Chess.com, lidraughts, PyChess, 81Dojo.
If you like Lichess
Chess.com
Online · 271ms · chess.com · 2007
Huge online chess site: play friends, strangers or the computer for free.
#board #chess #1v1
lidraughts
Online · 1454ms · lidraughts.org
Free online draughts server: no registration, no ads, no plugins. Tournaments, friends or AI.
#board #draughts #1v1
PyChess
Online · 1899ms · pychess.org
Free online chess variants server: play less-common variants against people or the computer.
#board #chess #1v1
81Dojo
Online · 750ms · 81dojo.com
International online shogi site, supported by the Japan Shogi Association, with players from 90 countries.
#board #shogi #1v1
Online Go Server (OGS)
Online · 63ms · online-go.com · 2005
Community-supported Go server: free, friendly and easy to use, with live and correspondence games.
#board #go #1v1
PlayOK
Online · 774ms · playok.com · 2001
Classic board and card games (chess, checkers, backgammon, card games and more) played in real time against live opponents. Also known as Kurnik.
#board #cards #chess