Playing chess

ChessHere supports the full range of standard time controls: bullet (1+0, 2+1), blitz (3+0, 3+2, 5+0, 5+3), rapid (10+0, 15+10), and classical (30+0 and longer). Custom time controls with arbitrary minutes-and-increment combinations are available when you create a challenge. Correspondence chess uses days-per-move clocks and is treated as a separate format.

Most games are rated by default; you can flip a Rated toggle to Unrated when you create a challenge or seek. Rated games update your Glicko-2 rating in the matching pool (bullet, blitz, rapid, classical, or correspondence — each has its own rating). Unrated games never change your rating, which makes them useful for casual practice or trying unfamiliar openings.

Open the Play page and pick a time control from the seek lobby — ChessHere pairs you within seconds when other players are searching. You can also create your own seek with custom rating and time settings. For a friendly game, send a direct challenge to a specific player from their profile or from the Friends list.

Yes — open your friend's profile and click Challenge. You pick the time control, color, and whether the game is rated, then send the invitation. They accept from a notification or from their challenges screen, and the game starts immediately. Friend challenges work for both live and correspondence formats.

Yes — every public game can be spectated. Open a player's profile while they're in a game and click their active board, or browse the public lobby for live games and tournament rounds. Spectators see live moves, the clock, and the chat (if both players have chat enabled). You don't need to be signed in to watch.

On the game board, the Draw button sends a draw offer to your opponent — they can accept, decline, or ignore it. Resign ends the game immediately as a loss. Both buttons are kept under a confirmation step on mobile so a stray tap doesn't end your game by mistake. Threefold repetition and the fifty-move rule are claimed automatically when applicable.

ChessHere does not support takebacks in rated games — once you click a move, it stands. This keeps rated play fair and consistent with over-the-board rules. In casual unrated games against friends, the same rule applies: there is no in-game takeback feature. If you'd like a do-over, finish the game and start a fresh one.

The game continues and your clock keeps running while you're offline. Reconnecting within your remaining time lets you resume normally — board state, move history, and clocks are preserved on the server. If your clock hits zero before you return, the game ends as a time-out loss. The mobile app reconnects automatically when network returns.

If your clock reaches zero, you lose on time. The exception: if your opponent has insufficient material to checkmate, the game is a draw. The clock is enforced on the server, so it's authoritative regardless of network lag on either side. Time controls with increment add the configured seconds to your clock after each move you complete.

Yes — the result screen at the end of every game has a Rematch button. Clicking it sends a fresh challenge to the same opponent with the same time control and colors swapped. They accept with one tap and the new game starts. Rematches are independent for rating purposes — they don't compound or chain.