How to Play Chess Online with a Friend (Free Invite Link)

To play chess online with a friend, open Chess Live, tap Play with Friends, choose a clock and your colour, create the room and send your friend the link. When they join, tap Start game. It is free and works in any modern browser on phones and computers.

Step 1: Enter your name

Open Chess Live and type a name and choose an avatar, or sign in with Google or email to save your wins and draws.

Step 2: Create a room

Tap Play with Friends. Choose which colour you want (White, Black or Random) and the clock: none, 3+2, 5 minutes, 10 minutes or 15+10. Then tap Create room.

Step 3: Send the invite

Tap Copy link, WhatsApp or Share. Your friend opens the link and lands in your room. They can also type the 6-letter code under Join room.

Step 4: Start and play

When your friend appears, tap Start game. Tap a piece to see its legal moves and tap a square, or drag the piece. The clock starts after both players have made their first move.

Step 5: Finish the game

The game ends with checkmate, a flag on time, resignation or a draw. You can offer a draw with the Offer draw button. After the game, tap Play again for a rematch with colours swapped, or Copy moves to save the game.

If someone disconnects

If your friend loses connection, their clock keeps running and they have 90 seconds to come back by opening the game and tapping Back to your online game. If they do not return in time, you win. If the room creator leaves, the other player becomes host automatically.

Tips

• Open the link in Chrome or Safari for working voice chat.
• Use headphones to avoid echo.
• Tap full screen on a phone for a bigger board.

Frequently asked questions