Rated online chess
Get paired by rating, play with clocks and climb the Elo ladder. Play a friend while you talk over voice and video, or test yourself against Stockfish. Free and no download.
By playing you accept the terms of use; see the privacy policy.
How it works
- Find a game: pick a time control in the lobby. You are paired with someone of a similar rating, colours drawn at random.
- Play: drag a piece, or tap it and then the square it goes to. The squares it can reach are marked.
- Win: checkmate, run your opponent out of time or wait for them to resign. Your rating updates at once.
Time controls
| Control | Kind | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 + 0 | Bullet | One minute each |
| 3 + 2 | Blitz | Three minutes, plus two seconds per move |
| 5 + 0 | Blitz | Five minutes each |
| 10 + 0 | Rapid | Ten minutes each |
| 15 + 10 | Rapid | Fifteen minutes, plus ten seconds per move |
Elo rating
Ratings follow FIDE's Elo system. Everyone starts at 1500. Beat someone stronger and you gain more; lose to someone weaker and you lose more. The leaderboard lists the highest rated players first. For the full rules, see how to play chess.
Into card and tile games too? Okey and batak are here as well.
Why Boombala?
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Voice chat
Talk to everyone at the table with one tap. No separate app or Discord needed: turn on your mic and keep playing.
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Video (webcam) games
Turn on your camera and your face appears at your seat. Play face to face with friends, as if you shared the same table.
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Join instantly with an invite link
Send the table's link over WhatsApp. Your friend sits down with just a nickname, no account needed.
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Start right away with bots
Bots take the empty seats, so you can play alone without waiting. If someone leaves, a bot takes over and the game goes on.
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No download, any device
Phone, tablet or computer: open it in your browser and play. On phones your tiles sit on a flat rack along the bottom of the screen.
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Completely free
No chips to buy, no ads to watch, no deposits. Just your friends and the game.
Frequently asked questions
How are chess ratings calculated?
We use FIDE's Elo system. Everyone starts at 1500; after each rated game your rating moves by the difference between your result and the result expected from your opponent's rating. K is 40 for your first 30 games, then 20, and 10 once you have reached 2400.
How do I find an opponent?
Pick a time control in the lobby and press "Find a game". You are paired with the closest-rated player looking; the accepted rating gap widens every 10 seconds while you wait.
Can I play against the computer?
Yes. Play the Stockfish engine on easy, medium or hard. Games against the computer never change your rating.
What if my opponent stops playing?
If your opponent makes no move for a minute (20 seconds if they left the table), you are asked whether you want to wait. If you do not, you win the game. Leaving the table mid-game counts as resigning.
Which time controls are there?
1+0 (bullet), 3+2 and 5+0 (blitz), 10+0 and 15+10 (rapid). At your own table you can also play without clocks. The first number is minutes, the second the seconds added per move.
Are castling, en passant and promotion supported?
Yes, all FIDE rules apply: castling, en passant, promotion, checkmate, stalemate, the fifty-move rule, threefold repetition and insufficient material draws.
Your move
By playing you accept the terms of use; see the privacy policy.