ChessWize vs Lichess for Kids: An Honest Comparison#

By Coach Hrdyansh Pandey · Last updated 4 May 2026

Lichess is genuinely one of the best chess resources in the world — and it is entirely free. No premium tiers, no locked features, no advertisements. As a coach, I use Lichess daily and recommend it to every student. So this comparison is not about convincing you that Lichess is inadequate. Instead, it explains where Lichess excels, where coaching adds value that no platform can replicate, and how the two work together for maximum improvement.

What Makes Lichess Special#

Lichess is a free, open-source chess server run as a non-profit by a single developer (Thibault Duplessis) with community contributions. It is funded entirely by donations and has no corporate ownership, no advertisements, and no pay-to-unlock features.

Key Lichess features:

Completely free: Every feature is available to every user. No premium subscription needed. Unlimited puzzles, unlimited games, unlimited analysis, unlimited studies — all free, forever.
Puzzle training: Lichess’s puzzle database is enormous and well-curated. Puzzles are rated and adapt to the player’s level. The Puzzle Storm and Puzzle Streak modes add gamification for engaging daily practice.
Game analysis: After every game, Lichess provides free computer analysis with Stockfish (one of the world’s strongest engines). The analysis identifies mistakes, blunders, and missed tactical opportunities with engine evaluation at each move.
Study boards: The Lichess study feature allows coaches and students to create shared analysis boards. Coaches can prepare lesson material, annotate positions, and share interactive studies with students — this is a genuinely powerful tool for coaching purposes.
Opening explorer: Lichess’s opening explorer shows how positions have been played by masters and in the Lichess database, helping players understand opening theory through real game statistics. This is a feature that Chess.com reserves for premium subscribers — Lichess offers it free.
Clean interface: No advertisements, no pop-ups, no subscription prompts, and no social media integrations. The interface is fast, clean, and distraction-free — particularly valuable for children who are easily distracted by visual clutter.

Where Lichess Falls Short for Kids#

No safety features: Unlike ChessKid (which has moderated environments and chat restrictions), Lichess is an open platform. Other users can have inappropriate usernames, and the public chat in tournaments and game lobbies is unmoderated. For children under 10, parents should disable chat in account settings and monitor online interactions. Lichess does have a “kid mode” toggle in settings that hides community features, but it is not as comprehensive as ChessKid’s dedicated child-safe environment.

No curated learning path: Lichess has lessons (Learn from your Mistakes, Practice) but they are not structured into a progressive curriculum. A child opening Lichess for the first time faces a blank dashboard — they can play games, solve puzzles, or browse studies, but there is no guided “start here, then do this” pathway. This lack of structure means children often default to just playing blitz games, which is fun but not optimally productive for improvement.

No personalised diagnosis: Lichess’s computer analysis tells your child WHAT went wrong (the engine identifies the mistake) but not WHY the child made that mistake. Was it a calculation error? A pattern they have not learned? A time management issue? A psychological reaction to pressure? Only a human coach can diagnose root causes and design targeted interventions.

No accountability: Lichess is always available — which means it is easy to close the tab and do something else. There is no scheduled structure, no homework assignments, no one checking whether the child practised today. For children under 12, who generally lack the self-discipline for independent study, this freedom often results in inconsistent practice.

No tournament preparation: Lichess does not prepare your child for specific AICF tournaments — reviewing opponents, adjusting opening preparation, managing pre-tournament anxiety, or debriefing after tournament performance. These coaching functions are absent from every platform.

How ChessWize Uses Lichess#

Rather than competing with Lichess, our coaching approach integrates Lichess as a core tool:

During sessions: I use Lichess study boards to prepare lesson material. When reviewing a student’s game, I import it into a Lichess study and annotate it with the student during the session. This creates a permanent, interactive record of every game analysis that the student can review later.

For homework: I assign specific Lichess activities between sessions — a set number of puzzles at a specific difficulty, specific games to play (rapid, not blitz), or positions to study in a shared Lichess board. Because Lichess tracks puzzle ratings and game results, I can verify whether the homework was completed and assess the quality of practice. If a student’s puzzle rating dropped from 1200 to 1050 between sessions, that tells me they were rushing through puzzles instead of thinking carefully — and we address that habit in the next session.

For game review: Students share their Lichess game links with me before coaching sessions. I review the games in advance, identify the key teaching moments, and come to the session prepared to discuss specific positions and decisions. This pre-session preparation makes coaching sessions significantly more productive — instead of spending 15 minutes finding the interesting moments in a game, we dive directly into the critical positions and extract maximum learning from each game.

For tournament simulation: Before important tournaments, I use Lichess to simulate tournament conditions — playing rapid games with the student under clock pressure, practising specific opening lines, and building confidence through controlled competitive practice. We also use Lichess puzzles in timed mode to sharpen tactical vision in the days leading up to a tournament.

For community and team building: Lichess teams allow coaches to create private groups for their students. Students can compete in team tournaments, solve puzzles together, and build camaraderie with other coached players. This social element — competing with and against peers who are also receiving coaching — adds motivation that individual platform use lacks.

Comparison Table#

Feature	Lichess	ChessWize Coaching
Cost	₹0 (completely free)	Personalised coaching rates
Puzzles	✓ Unlimited, rated	✓ Curated to weaknesses
Game analysis	✓ Free Stockfish analysis	✓ Coach-guided with thinking process
Study boards	✓ Collaborative studies	✓ Used during coaching sessions
Opening explorer	✓ Master + Lichess database	✓ Custom repertoire building
Learning path	✗ Unstructured	✓ Personalised curriculum
Safety features	✗ Open platform	✓ 1-on-1 supervised sessions
Error diagnosis	✗ Shows WHAT, not WHY	✓ Root cause analysis
Accountability	✗ Self-directed	✓ Scheduled with homework
Tournament prep	✗ Not available	✓ Full preparation cycle
FIDE pathway	✗ Online rating only	✓ AICF/FIDE tournament guidance

When Lichess Alone Is Enough#

For casual players: If your child plays chess for fun and cognitive benefits without competitive ambitions, Lichess provides everything they need — and it costs nothing. The puzzle trainer and game analysis are better than most paid alternatives.

For self-motivated teenagers: Older children (14+) with strong self-discipline can make significant progress on Lichess independently. The opening explorer, analysis tools, and rated games provide a complete improvement environment for self-directed learners.

For supplementary practice: Every coached student should use Lichess (or Chess.com) for daily practice between sessions. The platform provides the volume of practice that coaching alone cannot deliver.

When You Need Coaching#

For children under 12: Young children need structure, accountability, and adaptive instruction. Lichess provides tools; coaching provides guidance on how to use those tools effectively. Without coaching, most children under 12 will spend their Lichess time playing blitz games rather than working on their weaknesses.

For plateau-breaking: A rating plateau (stuck at the same level for 3+ months) requires expert diagnosis. Lichess cannot identify why your child stopped improving — only a coach who understands the child’s playing patterns can pinpoint the specific weakness causing the plateau.

For competitive players: If your child plays in AICF tournaments, seeks a FIDE rating, or aspires to state and national championships, coaching provides the strategic guidance and tournament preparation that no platform offers.

The Optimal Combination#

The approach I recommend to every parent combines both:

Coaching sessions (2–3 per week): Live instruction, game analysis, personalised curriculum, tournament preparation
Lichess daily practice (20–30 minutes): Puzzles, casual games, and reviewing shared study boards
Lichess for homework: Completing coach-assigned activities between sessions

This combination leverages Lichess’s strengths (unlimited free practice, excellent tools) while addressing its fundamental limitation (no human guidance). The result is faster improvement than either approach alone — typically 200–300 additional rating points per year for committed students compared to Lichess-only self-study.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Lichess good for kids?#

Excellent as a practice tool. The puzzles, game analysis, and study features are outstanding — and all free. However, Lichess lacks safety features for young children and does not provide structured learning or coaching. Use it as a tool within a broader learning plan, not as the only resource.

Is Lichess completely free?#

Yes. Every feature is available without payment. Lichess is a non-profit funded by donations. There are no premium tiers, no locked features, and no advertisements.

Can I use Lichess for chess coaching?#

Absolutely. Lichess study boards are excellent coaching tools. Many professional coaches (including ChessWize coaches) use Lichess during sessions for game analysis, position preparation, and interactive lessons.

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