Active games

Start new game and compete for FIDE Online and Worldchess rating, or invite a friend and train with no hassle at all!

0

Total Chess

Carlsen Strikes First As Total Chess Begins—But Vaishali Steals The SpotlightYou guessed it: Magnus Carlsen won the opening blitz tournament in Budapest on Tuesday night, taking an early advantage in the new Total Chess competition. But India's Vaishali Rameshbabu also made an impression with two eye-catching victories.November 10, 2026·4 min read

Total Chess 2026: Everything You Need To KnowMagnus Carlsen will headline the first Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot in Budapest in November. Here is everything you need to know about the players, dates, schedule, format, prize money and FIDE's newest world championship.November 9, 2026·16 min read

Total Chess Pilot: Five Things To Watch As Carlsen Tests Chess's New FormatMagnus Carlsen heads a star-studded field in Budapest as Total Chess prepares to test a new format combining classical, rapid and blitz. Here are five questions ahead of Tuesday's opening.November 9, 2026·5 min read

Carlsen's Big Return Awaits—But Is Chess Ready For Another World Champion?The stage is set. Magnus Carlsen will headline a star-studded field in Budapest as Total Chess tests a radical new format. But after a mixed year in classical chess, can the Norwegian prove he is still the ultimate all-rounder?November 1, 2026·9 min read

One Chess Rating to Rule Them All—But Haven't We Been Here Before?Total Chess has unveiled a new universal rating system, with Magnus Carlsen at number-one. But nearly a decade after the Grand Chess Tour tried something remarkably similar, can this attempt succeed?October 16, 2026·5 min read

Carlsen Says Yes, But Nakamura And Gukesh Missing From Total Chess Line-UpGM Magnus Carlsen will headline November’s experimental Total Chess pilot in Budapest — but GM Hikaru Nakamura and World Champion GM Gukesh D are conspicuous absentees from a stellar first line-up.August 26, 2026·3 min read

Haaland's Gambit: Football Money, Norway Chess, and the Future of the GameErling Haaland is putting his money where his mouth is, investing in Norway Chess and a bold new world championship tour. But can celebrity capital actually fix chess's monetization problem, or is this just a glamorous distraction?March 21, 2026·5 min read

Why Erling Haaland Signed Up For Norway Chess: 'The Project Was Too Exciting To Pass Up'Magnus Carlsen's star power pays off as Manchester City's Norwegian star teams up for the new Total Chess World Championship Tour.March 19, 2026·4 min read

Carlsen's Not That Into Classical... But He Will Play Norway ChessWorld-number-one GM Magnus Carlsen is the first name on this list for this year's Norway Chess, which is moving from Stavanger to Oslo.January 13, 2026·3 min read

FIDE Sends RSVP As New Magnus-friendly Total World Championship Takes ShapeA stellar list of 16 invitees, including GMs Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, are being asked to take part. Let's hope they all accept.January 6, 2026·5 min read

1–10 of 11

Popular news

Carlsen Makes Surprise London Detour For World Rapid & Blitz Champs Warm-Up

Carlsen Makes Surprise London Detour For World Rapid & Blitz Champs Warm-Up

Magnus Carlsen · World Rapid & Blitz Championships · London Chess Classic·Nov 8·4 min read

Carlsen Targets Esports World Cup Hat-Trick—And Another Monster Payday

Carlsen Targets Esports World Cup Hat-Trick—And Another Monster Payday

Esports World Cup · Magnus Carlsen · Norway·Nov 7·7 min read

Gukesh vs Sindarov: Everything You Need To Know About The 2026 World Chess Championship

Gukesh vs Sindarov: Everything You Need To Know About The 2026 World Chess Championship

2026 World Chess Championship · India · Uzbekistan·Nov 5·14 min read

Gukesh vs Sindarov: Is the World Champion Really the Underdog?

Gukesh vs Sindarov: Is the World Champion Really the Underdog?

2026 World Chess Championship·Nov 5·4 min read

Chess Terms

Term of the day

Chess Pin

A pinned piece cannot move without exposing a more valuable one behind it.

More terms

One move, two threats: a fork attacks two pieces at once, and only one can be saved.

The reverse of a pin: the valuable piece is hit first and the one behind it falls.

Discovered Attack

A piece steps aside and uncovers an attack from the piece it was blocking.

Back Rank Checkmate

Mate on the last rank: the king's own pawns leave it nowhere to run.

All 144 terms →

Games & tests

Game of the day

Play a rated game

Find an opponent of your level in the lobby.

More games

How much chess do you actually know?

Quiz · 1 question

Think you know chess? Eight questions, from easy to unfair. Your score becomes a rating, and we'll tell you how many people you're ahead of.

Puzzle · every day

A fresh tactic each morning, rated against the community.

All 3 games →