# Lichess

42 Hacker News commenters recommended Lichess and 4 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Free, ad-free chess site with puzzles, lessons, play against people worldwide and an open API. Critics mainly say it is habit-forming.

## Why people recommend it

- Free with no ads (5 comments): "this is lichess, who literally provide a free chess website for anyone who wants to play or learn chess" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46999195)) "No ads, no subs, incredible performance, low-toxicity, fully featured, free API, European." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49695964)) "Open source, no ads, super clean interface and super functional website." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47705192))
- Puzzles, lessons, and play worldwide (4 comments): "Love lichess - I downloaded their chess puzzle database and built a simple app for my son to learn mate-in-3 puzzles." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47706369)) "lichess.org's mobile version is great, you get the "play people worldwide" as well as puzzles and lessons etc" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48264227)) "this is lichess, who literally provide a free chess website for anyone who wants to play or learn chess" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46999195))
- Clean, fast, well-optimized interface (4 comments): "it just appeared superior in all aspects and it, in my opinion, look way better." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49704043)) "lichess looks and feels a thousand times better and clearly has a richer api" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46781341)) "Open source, no ads, super clean interface and super functional website." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47705192))
- Open, well-documented API for developers (3 comments): "they are the only platform I have worked with where so much is so easily accessible in terms of their APIs" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47705071)) "The openness is mainly what makes Lichess so powerful for organizers and developers." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47706534)) "lichess looks and feels a thousand times better and clearly has a richer api" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46781341))

## What people warn about

- Habit-forming, hard to stop using (3 comments): "I do make the excuse that it's at least using my brain and I have gotten much better at chess." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49589773)) "domains that I've realized I'm addicted to (ahem, lichess)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48363842)) "I'd call it my main internet vice after lichess" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49588772))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Chess.com](https://hackerapproved.com/p/chess-com.md): 7 recommend

## Where to get it

- [Visit the official site](https://lichess.org/)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Lichess", https://hackerapproved.com/p/lichess/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).