Is Chess.com Safe for Kids? Not by Default — Here's What to Change

Not in its default state — and unlike Lichess, you cannot fix it yourself in two clicks. Chess.com has a Safe Mode that disables all messages, chats and comments, but it is enabled by contacting Chess.com’s Support team, not by flipping a switch in settings. For children aged 13 and under, the better answer is usually ChessKid rather than the main site.

Parents ask me this constantly, and the honest comparison surprises them: Lichess — the free, volunteer-run site — makes child safety self-serve, while the large commercial platform routes it through a support ticket. Here is what to do about it.

What Chess.com Safe Mode does#

Direct answer: Safe Mode disables all messages, chats, and comments on the account. Play, puzzles and lessons continue to work normally.

Per Chess.com’s own support article (dated 1 October 2025), if you want to limit your child’s social interactions, you can contact the Support team to enable Safe Mode on the account, and this will disable all messages, chats, and comments.

That is a strong restriction, and it addresses the actual risk — strangers contacting your child. What it does not do is stop your child being matched against adults, which is normal for online chess and generally fine.

The catch: it is a support request, not a setting#

Direct answer: To enable or disable Safe Mode, click ‘Support’ in the bottom-left menu of any Chess.com page and ask their team to switch it on. There is no self-serve toggle.

This matters for two practical reasons:

1. It takes time. You are waiting on a human, not clicking a checkbox. If you sat down tonight intending to make your child’s account safe before school tomorrow, plan for that.
2. Most parents never do it. A setting that requires raising a ticket is a setting the large majority of families will not have enabled. If your assumption was “big platform, must be safe by default for kids” — it is not.

Compare this with Lichess Kid Mode, which is a toggle in account settings and cannot be reversed without the account password. Same protective goal, far less friction.

For under-13s, use ChessKid instead#

Direct answer: ChessKid is Chess.com’s product built for children, with content generally aimed at ages 13 and under. It is the right starting point for a young beginner — not the main Chess.com site with Safe Mode bolted on.

Per ChessKid’s help centre (dated 9 March 2026), ChessKid is designed for kids with content generally aimed at ages 13 and under, though older children can benefit too, and it supports learners from complete beginners up to about a 1600 rating.

Two things follow from that:

• If your child is under 13 and new to chess, start on ChessKid. You are not fighting the platform’s defaults; the environment was designed for the age group.
• If your child is rated above roughly 1600, they have outgrown it. That ceiling is stated by ChessKid itself. At that point you are choosing between the main Chess.com site, Lichess, and real coaching — and by then the child usually needs a coach more than a platform.

The billing trap worth knowing#

Direct answer: A Chess.com Premium subscription does not include ChessKid Gold. They are separate products, billed separately.

I flag this because families assume one payment covers the household. It does not — a Chess.com Premium plan only qualifies you for a discount on a separate ChessKid plan. If you are budgeting for a chess year, count them as two line items or you will be surprised.

Chess.com vs Lichess on safety, honestly#

Direct answer: Lichess is easier to make safe; ChessKid is safer out of the box for young children. Chess.com’s main site is the weakest default of the three.

	Default state for a child	How you restrict it	Age fit
ChessKid	Built for children	Designed for the age group	13 and under, up to ~1600
Lichess	Unrestricted until configured	Self-serve toggle, password-locked	Any, once Kid Mode is on
Chess.com (main)	Unrestricted	Support ticket for Safe Mode	Older/stronger juniors

There is no villain here. All three are legitimate. The difference is how much work you have to do, and how likely it is you will actually do it.

What none of them replace#

Direct answer: A safe platform is a safe place to play. It is not instruction, and it is not supervision.

Safe Mode does not review your child’s games. ChessKid’s lessons are good, but nobody is watching whether your child is repeating the same blunder every week or losing on time because nobody taught them clock management.

At ChessWize our students practise on these platforms and bring the games to a FIDE-rated coach who reviews them live, every week, with the same coach each time. The platform handles volume; a named adult handles judgement.

If your child is already playing online and you are working through the safety questions, read is Lichess safe for kids and ChessKid vs live coaching. If you would rather just ask a coach directly, book a free 30-minute demo — safety questions are welcome and expected.

Frequently asked questions#

Is Chess.com safe for kids?#

Not in its default state. Chess.com offers Safe Mode, which disables all messages, chats and comments, but you must contact the Support team to have it enabled — it is not a toggle in account settings. For children 13 and under, ChessKid is the safer starting point.

How do I turn on parental controls on Chess.com?#

Click ‘Support’ in the bottom-left menu of any Chess.com page and request that Safe Mode be enabled on the account. Chess.com’s support team switches it on for you; there is no self-serve toggle.

What does Chess.com Safe Mode actually disable?#

Safe Mode disables all messages, chats, and comments on the account. It limits the social surface of the platform while leaving play, puzzles and lessons intact.

Should my child use ChessKid or Chess.com?#

Use ChessKid if your child is 13 or under. Its content is built for that age group and it supports players from complete beginner up to about a 1600 rating. Move to the main Chess.com site when your child outgrows that ceiling.

Does Chess.com Premium include ChessKid Gold?#

No. They are separate subscriptions billed separately. A Chess.com Premium plan only qualifies you for a discount on a ChessKid plan — it does not unlock ChessKid Gold.