Mastering Multiplayer: A Guide to Playing with Friends on Chess.com

Looking to connect with your friends and play chess online?

Chess.com offers a variety of features to help you find, add, and play with your friends on the platform.

This article will guide you through the process from creating an account to starting a game. Find out how to search for friends, send friend requests, and explore different game modes available on Chess.com.

Get tips for communicating, analyzing games, and joining tournaments with your friends.

Let’s dive in and elevate your online chess experience!

Creating an Account on Chess.com

Creating an account on chess.com is allowed via your Google account, Apple account, or email address. The following steps are for creating an account with your email address for Web & Mobile sessions:

1. Visit chess.com in your browser or app to log in
2. Type in your desired username, email address, and password, then click Get Started
3. Expand the drop-down menu, I am, and choose which gender you identify with if you so wish
4. Click the checkbox, Agree to the Terms, and then click Create My Free Account
5. To verify you are not a robot, check I’m not a robot and click Verify

How to Find and Add Friends on Chess.com?

Find and add friends on Chess.com by typing their username into the Add Friend dialog on the friends tab of the profile menu or by sending a friend request with their username in the search bar of the main site.

There are three ways to search for friends on Chess.com. You can use the Add Friend screen in the friends tab while on mobile, the add friends button on the friends page, or via the search bar. You should add friends on Chess.com in order to easily challenge people you know, virtual practice partners, or people with whom you share a similar chess skill level. You will expand your friends list by meeting new friends in different chess communities and servers.

What is the Friends Feature on Chess.com?

The Friends feature in Chess.com is a tool provided by the platform that lets you connect with chess players you already know. You can establish games more immediately with friends, be notified when friends are online in order to chat or play with them, and compare against your friends on leaderboards. You can utilize the Friends feature to play with and against friends over the board of whatever game mode you choose.

How to Search for Friends on Chess.com?

To search for friends on Chess.com, you must enter the User ID of the friend you are looking for. You will not be able to search as you can on social media (through keyword and personal info searches).

To search for chess friends on Chess.com, follow these steps:

1. Options
2. Friends
3. Search for user (friends)
4. Enter friend’s username or user ID
5. Enter full friend’s username or user ID
6. Click on the friend’s username in the search results
7. Click the Add Friend button to add as a friend

The above screenshots provide visual instructions for the process. It is important to know the User ID of your friend to find people on Chess.com as there are many users with similar usernames. Users with free accounts (the vast majority) may not search for their friends by just typing in their username or a personal piece of information (such as email).

How to Send Friend Requests on Chess.com?

To send friend requests on Chess.com, you open the Friends menu on the left of the home screen, search for your friend using their username or email address, browse for new friends to add, or import their details from connected social media accounts or your personal contacts, and then click the Add Friend button adjacent to the friend’s name. Adding a friend on Chess.com will only be seen by the friend and not made public to anybody else.

How to Accept or Decline Friend Requests on Chess.com?

You can accept or decline friend requests on Chess.com by clicking on the “Notifications Tab” at the bottom right corner of your screen on the website or bottom of your screen on the mobile app. You can also accept or decline friend requests by clicking on the “Friends” tab on the website at the top next to “Home” and finding the request in the appropriate folder. You can click either “Accept” or “Ignore”.

Playing with Friends on Chess.com

Playing with friends on Chess.com involves directly challenging friends or using the friends list to find friends who are also online in order to challenge/join a game. Directly challenging a friend requires their Chess.com username or email. Under the “Community” section of the Chess.com homepage, select “play a friend” which will bring up a form to enter their username or send an email invitation to play as shown in step three of the instructions.

The Friends List is located in the “Play” drop-down in the Navbar in the upper left corner of the screen. This option allows you to view if your friends are online, and how long they’ve been online for. With this option, simply click on a friend’s name and then click on “Challenge” or “Join” to play, assuming they have not turned off the ability to receive challenges.

How to Start a Game with a Friend on Chess.com?

To start a game with a friend on Chess.com, do the following: Go to Chess.com and log in to your account. In the Play section, click on Live Chess. In the top-left corner, where it says Play Someone, click on that link. Type in your friend’s username in the box provided and click Find User. Send your friend a Challenge to a game of chess. Now play a game and enjoy your friend’s company while you attempt to beat them at the game of kings!

What are the Different Game Modes Available on Chess.com?

These are the different game modes available on Chess.com:

1. Live Chess: Real-time chess, abbreviated via minutes or seconds; turn-based or online over-the-board gameplay.
2. Online Play: Prearranged games through turn-based play or live games from the comfort of wherever you are.
3. Play vs Computer: Solo chess play against the Chess.com bot.
4. Puzzles: Variety of Chess.com puzzles suitable for all chess skill levels.

How to Invite Friends to a Game on Chess.com?

To invite friends to a game on Chess.com for a Free or Premium account (though preferably on Chess.com Premium for multiple highlighted benefits in both playing and learning aspects), create a Challenge for an expected opponent.

Challenge your friend by viewing their profile, clicking the three-dot More Options, and choosing the Challenge option (if applicable because they are on your friends list). Send out the request and wait for their response.

But first, have you completed this step to have a friend activated on your Chess.com account?

To complete the step, visit the Find Friends link shown at the top of the homepage or under Explore to locate friends in the standard way. You will receive a friend request that you should accept or they will accept yours.

Lastly, use the mobile apps’ Invite to Play feature for friends who also have the mobile app. Below are the illustrated step-by-step instructions for inviting friends to play chess on Chess.com under either their Online or Live Settings

How to Set Time Controls for a Game with Friends on Chess.com?

To set time controls for a game with friends on Chess.com, follow these steps according to the platform you are using.

On the Web, to set time controls for a game with friends on Chess.com, you will need to play from a directly accessed URL like the one below. Time settings should be available as long as you have time settings turned on under the gear icon in the lower right.

On the Chess.com Android app, time settings are unavailable as this functionality is still implemented with the now depreciated Live Chess system. On the Chess.com iOS app, follow these steps after sending a game invite to your friend, as described in the ‘How to play with friends in Chess.com’ article. When you tap on the pawn piece, you should see a timer pop up where you can select the time control, increment and special conditions like a rated game.

Tips for Playing with Friends on Chess.com

Play with friends in Chess.com by logging into the web or mobile apps and selecting from your list of friends or existing games to play against them. After you finish a game, you can analyze the moves and improve your chess knowledge.

See subsections 3. Play Directly from Game List on Mobile, 4. See the Entire Game To Know Who is Winning, Losing, Drawing, and 5. Add and Delete Friends in the How to Play on Chess.com section for a guide to all Chess.com features.

Tips for playing with friends effectively:

• Send a personal chat message to your friend with your game invite. When using the Quick Match or button, remember your friend must be online and using the Play window within a freindly number of seconds or they may miss your game invite
• Don’t forget you can take back your moves within five seconds and it will not affect the game in any way.

How to Communicate with Friends during a Game on Chess.com?

You cannot communicate with friends during a game on Chess.com. While not frequently needed, there is always the possibility of needing to communicate with an opponent during a move. The nature of the game does not require real-time communication. The best way to communicate real-time is to use a different chat app while playing the game.

Furthermore, having the feature would introduce the possibility for opponents to send intimidating or harassing messages, and this is something that Chess.com has chosen to avoid.

If you and your opponent turn out to be players with mutual respect that just happen to become friends in the game of chess, both players can accept resignation during the game and play another together. Playing Tournaments with those friends are another way to challenge this in a competitive environment.

How to Analyze Games with Friends on Chess.com?

To analyze games with friends on Chess.com, go to the Play Friends page. Select the game you want to analyze. Now that it is open and playing, in the upper-right corner, click on Analysis Board. You can choose to add a Chess Engine that shows who is ahead or enter Game Notes where you can write notes but not analysis moves. This article discusses using the analysis board in more detail. Note that while some analysis board features are available for free members, those with a Gold, Platinum, or Diamond membership can benefit from more advanced features such as the computer analysis engine, and unlimited analysis of games.

How to Create and Join Tournaments with Friends on Chess.com?

1. Click on Home, and scroll down to the Play Zone. Click Tournaments.
2. Click Create A Tournament.
3. Click Private.
4. Select possible dates, length of tournament and time control for games.
5. Enable Berserk Mode if you prefer.
6. Enter the names of the friends you want to play with. In our case, let us create a tournament for Abdul, Kadija, and Murat.
7. Select Automatic, Swiss, Round Robin, or Single Elimination tournament format.
8. Select the time limit for the tournament.
9. Select the starting round.
10. Set a cool name for your tournament. In our case, it is Battle for Friends.
11. Choose Open Sign-Ups or Send Invitations to a select group.
12. Select an Entry Fee for the tournament or make it free.
13. Set up awards for tournament winners.
14. Click on Create!.

Your tournament is created, and your friends will receive invitations to participate. Just make sure that uhhave some time to play as the time limit for this tournament is in 6 days. You need to manually set up a game versus your friends every time the next round begins as it is not automatic. Karma’s Comrades Battle and a player-created Battle of the Titans tournament shows friends competing in public events on Chess.com. This could be you! Monetization strategies for selling tickets seem to be more popular on these public tournaments. This is not always necessary if you just want to play friendly games on Chess.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Play With Your Friends in Chess.com?

Can I play with my friends on Chess.com?
Yes, Chess.com allows you to play with your friends by creating a private game room.

How do I create a private game room to play with my friends?
How do I invite my friends to play in a private game room?
To invite your friends, simply share the link to the game room or send them a direct invitation through the “Invite Friends” option.

Can I play with my friends who are not on Chess.com?
How do I add friends who are not on Chess.com to my game room?
Yes, you can invite friends who are not on Chess.com by sending them a direct invitation through email or social media.

Is there a limit to the number of friends I can invite to a private game room?
Can I play with more than one friend at the same time on Chess.com?
Yes, you can invite multiple friends to a private game room on Chess.com and play with them simultaneously.

Can I chat with my friends while playing on Chess.com?
Is there a chat feature available in private game rooms?
Yes, you can chat with your friends while playing in a private game room on Chess.com through the chat box located on the game page.

Are there any restrictions for playing with friends on Chess.com?
Can I play with my friends who are in a different time zone?
There are no restrictions for playing with friends on Chess.com, you can play with them regardless of their location or time zone.