Welcome to the first edition of my “playing with friends” series for eCheckCasinos.ca! My name is Ed Scimia, and I’ve just joined the site’s team of editors. I can’t wait to share my love of all kinds of games with you in the weeks to come!
Of all the games I’ve played in my life, none have been more impactful to me than chess. I first learned the game from my father as a small child, then started playing in tournaments a few years later. After some time off, I took up competitive play again in college, and haven’t stopped playing since! It’s a great game that has stood the test of time, and is one of the best ways to enjoy a challenging – but also relaxing – time with a friend who also loves games.
(Note from eCheckCasinos.ca: Ed used to the main chess guide on About.com, and you may now find his chess wisdom on the Spruce Crafts).
One of the most popular board games of all time, chess has arguably never been as popular as it is today. While millions around the world still love playing this game in person, there’s now a thriving world of online chess play, from beginners learning the game for the first time to competitions for the best players in the world. Read on to learn how to play chess with friends online!
Where should I play chess with friends?
There are essentially two forms of chess: over the board chess, which means playing in person with a physical board, or online play. Both are great ways to enjoy this classic game, and each has its advantages.
Playing in person offers a classic experience that really can’t be beat. There’s nothing like playing chess with friends at home or in a coffeeshop, chatting away and enjoying food or drink in between moves. The feel of the pieces in your hand brings the game to life, and many players say they see the board better in person than online – something to consider if you want to learn how to play chess competitively.
Playing live chess is easy to do at home, but there are also clubs around the world where you can meet up with fellow chess enthusiasts to play casual and competitive games. Whether you’re a rank beginner or a tournament veteran, chess clubs are a welcoming venue for players of any skill, and a great way to play chess with new friends. There are world-renowned organizations like the Marshall Chess Club in New York City, but most people play at the countless clubs at local libraries and coffee shops around the world.
All that said, there’s nothing that can compete with the convenience and availability of online chess. At the largest online chess sites, there will be thousands of players or more online at any given time. That makes it easy to find a game with an opponent near your skill level who wants to play a game at the same speed as you.
Online chess doesn’t require any special equipment or even a fancy phone or fast computer. Any basic device with a reasonable internet connection can play a game of chess at any time of day. Chess is hardly an expensive pastime, but you won’t have to worry about tracking down a board or a clock: just log into your site of choice, and you’ll be connected to a game in seconds.
Recommended chess equipment for home games
If you’re looking to play chess with friends or family members at home, you won’t need much equipment. However, it’s worth investing in a good chess set – and that doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive or flashiest looking board and pieces.
The best chess board offer large squares with a solid contrast between light and dark squares. Any site that sells chess equipment in general will have vinyl boards with green and white squares that roll up for convenient travel. Rather than a cheap option, this is actually considered the standard for tournament play!
When it comes to pieces, your best option for a set that you’ll be playing with a lot is a plastic set of Staunton pieces – the standard design for chess pieces for over a century now. Here’s a tip, however: unless you’re buying in bulk, you’ll want to spend a little bit extra and get weighted pieces rather the cheapest unweighted sets. This ensures that your pieces will stay in place even if they get jostled during play, which happens commonly – especially in faster formats like blitz chess.
Wooden sets and pieces are also a great option if you’re looking to spend a little more money. If you’re looking for fancy, high-quality sets, House of Staunton is an excellent manufacturer, though many great wooden sets are available at lower prices as well.
A chess clock isn’t necessary for casual play, but is a key piece of equipment for tournament play, and you may want one if you plan to play short timed games with friends. Your national chess federation likely sells clocks, as do chess equipment sites. Digital clocks are the standard in the 21st century, with models from companies such as DGT being affordable clocks suitable for tournament play. If you just want something for casual play, there are numerous free phone apps that work as chess clocks as well!
Where to play live chess with friends
It’s easy to play live chess at home or in any public place, especially if you are just looking to play with a friend once in a while. But if you’re looking for more people to play chess with in person, there are a number of great resources out there.
The best place to find more players is a local chess club, and the best way to find good clubs in your area is with the help of your national chess federation. In the USA, you can take a look at the website of the US Chess Federation, which has a searchable club directory that can point you towards clubs, events, and other chess happenings in your area. The Chess Federation of Canada keeps a similar list on its website.
Where to play chess with friends online
There are countless places where you can play chess online. However, if you’re planning to play on a regular basis, I think there are two sites in particular that are worth giving a look.
The first is perhaps the most obvious: Chess.com, which has become the global leader in online chess. The site holds tens of millions of chess games each and every day, with sometimes hundreds of thousands of players on Chess.com at any given time.
Chess.com does offer paid memberships. While you can play for free, paid members have access to more training tools, unlimited access to things like puzzles and game review functions, and the ability to play in tournaments any special events.
If you’re looking for a something a bit simpler – and a site that is always free – then Lichess is the way to go. Like Chess.com, Lichess has a large community that allows you to find the game you want at any time of day with little or no waiting. It also hosts tournaments and has game analysis functions. But while Lichess does take donations, it is fundamentally a free site for everyone – so while it might not have a few of the special features of Chess.com, you’ll never have to pay to access anything on this site.
Chess rules and strategies
Even the basic rules of chess go well beyond the scope of this page, but there are tons of great resources for those looking to learn how to play this ancient game. One excellent place to start is the Wikipedia page on the rules of chess, which will give you all the rules you need to learn how to play.
As one of the deepest strategic games in the world, chess strategy is a subject you could spend your whole lifetime learning. That said, if you are a relative beginner to chess, there are plenty of quick tips that can quickly help you win more of your games against your friends! Here are a few bits of advice to get you started on your chess journey.
- You’ll often have to “trade” pieces during a chess game – meaning you’ll get to take one or more pieces, but then your opponent will get one or more of yours in return. In order to simplify figuring out if these exchanges are good or bad, chess players have a basic points system that tells them how much each piece is worth. Pawns are worth 1 point, knights and bishops are worth 3 each, rooks are worth 5 points, and queens are worth 9 points. Kings don’t have a value – if your king gets trapped, you lose the game! If you consistently get more points than you give up in trades, you’ll win a lot of chess games.
- In the opening – the start of the game – your goal should be to get your bishops and knights on good squares. That means either putting them in the middle of the board, or in places from where they can attack the middle.
- Another important opening tip is to castle your king as early as possible. If you develop your pieces and castle your king, you’ll be able to play a decent, long game of chess with even much stronger opponents.
- If you want to study something, the first thing to learn is the basic checkmates. Learn how to win with a king and queen against king, and with a king and two rooks against a king. Knowing these basic checkmates will ensure you can finish off a win when you secure a big advantage.
- To get the most from your long-range pieces, get them on open lines. For instance, place your bishops on long diagonals, and stack your rooks and queen on open files (vertical lines) to give them plenty of options.
Who are the best chess players in the world?
Why chess might not have the cultural power of major sports, the best players in the world have often been celebrities. Names like Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov were known around the world in their day, and that continues to be the case in modern chess.
The undisputed best chess player in the world in 2024 is Magnus Carlsen of Norway. He has been the No. 1 ranked chess player in the world since 2011, holds numerous records and has won countless titles, including being a five-time World Chess Champion – as well as a multi-time World Rapid and World Blitz Chess Champion.
However, Carlsen isn’t the World Chess Champion today! No longer interested in playing championship matches, Carlsen relinquished the title after defending it in 2021. In 2023, Ding Liren of China defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi to become the newest world champion – though he’ll have to defend that title against India’s Gukesh Dommaraju in late 2024.
(Note from eCheckCasinos.ca: This article is the first in our “Play with Friends” series by Ed Scimia. Ed will share his expertise and passion for various games in the upcoming guides. Our previous “with friends” article on blackjack was written by Donna Dorsa. Ed will now take over, and we anticipate around 10 titles in this initial series.)
