Lichess

Lichess is free and open-source Internet chess server. The chess server is run by a non-profit organization, which is also called Lichess.^[1] The Lichess chess server was created in 2010 by Thibault Duplessis, making it 15 years old.^[2] The name comes from a combination of "live/light/libre" and "chess". It's called "live" because games are played and are able to be watched in real-time, 24/7. The term "light" is because Lichess keeps a simplistic user interface, and the term "libre" is French for "free", as in "free and open-source software (FOSS)".^[3]

Players online have the option of playing anonymously. They also have the option to create an account to earn a rating. Lichess uses the Glicko-2 rating system.^[4]

In April 2021, the United States Chess Federation reviewed how Lichess deals with cheating in online chess. After this review, it endorsed Lichess as a secure place to play chess for its members.^[5]

Titled Arenas

Lichess runs tournaments called Titled Arenas, in which only players who have a title are able to play. As of February 2021, World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen has the most Titled Arena wins, with 15.^[6]