Chess with video chat
ChessChat pairs you with a real person over live video, and then you play. No download, no plugin, no separate call to set up.
- Live webcam and mic, both ways
- A real opponent in seconds
- Rated bullet, blitz and rapid
ChessChatThe short answer
ChessChat is a free browser app for playing chess with video chat. You are matched with a real opponent in seconds, your webcams and microphones connect automatically, and the two of you agree on bullet, blitz or rapid before the first move. It runs on desktop and mobile, needs no download, and the video is never recorded.
How chess with video chat works
You get a person, not a username
Press play and ChessChat looks for someone else who wants a game right now, close to your rating. Nobody waits in an empty room: if there is a match, it happens in seconds.
The cameras connect on their own
Your browser asks once for the camera and microphone. From then on the video comes up with the board, both ways, with no call to start and no link to send.
Agree on a speed, then play
Say hi, pick bullet, blitz or rapid together, and the clock starts when you both choose the same one. Afterwards you can rematch or go find somebody new.
Why play chess over video
Online chess removed the person. You get a rating, a clock and a username, and the game is the same game whether the other side is a grandmaster, a stranger in another timezone or a piece of software. Nothing that happens between the moves survives.
Video puts that back. You see the pause before a blunder, the face when the fork lands, the shrug at a lost endgame. People say good game and mean it. It turns a session into something closer to what chess is across a real board, which is a conversation with the pieces in the way.
What you need to play chess on video
A browser and a webcam. ChessChat runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on desktop and on phones, and the video uses WebRTC through LiveKit, so there is nothing to install and no plugin to allow. If you want it on your home screen it can be installed as an app, but that is a convenience, not a requirement.
The camera is optional in the sense that matters: you can turn it off at any point and carry on playing with just the board, and you can mute the microphone on its own. Plenty of games end up half video and half chess, which is fine. The point is that it is there without being arranged.
Your camera stays yours
Camera and microphone streams are transmitted live to your opponent and are not recorded or stored. There is one deliberate exception, and it exists for safety rather than for us: when a player reports somebody, a single still frame of the reported player's video is captured so a human can act on the report. That is the whole of it, and it is written down in the privacy policy rather than only here.
Who can see you is equally narrow. Your opponent, always. In a lobby or tournament game, the host may be permitted to watch the game they are running. Nobody else can attach to a game they are not a party to, which is enforced by the server on every connection rather than by hiding a button.
How it differs from a normal chess site
The usual answer to playing chess with video is two apps: a chess site in one window and a video call in another, with a link to send, a lobby code to read out and two clocks that do not know about each other. It works, and almost nobody bothers twice.
ChessChat is one app doing both. Pairing, the board, the clock and the call are the same session, so the video is simply on when the game is on. Games from matchmaking are rated with a Glicko-2 rating, so playing face to face costs you nothing in the part of chess that keeps score.
Chess with video chat, in short
- Price
- Free. No subscription, no paid tier.
- Download
- None. It runs in the browser, and can be installed as an app.
- Video
- Live two-way webcam and microphone, over WebRTC (LiveKit).
- Recording
- Streams are not recorded or stored.
- Opponents
- Real people, matched by Glicko-2 rating.
- Speeds
- Bullet 1+0 and 2+1, blitz 3+0, 3+2 and 5+0, rapid 10+0.
- Devices
- Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, on desktop, iOS and Android.
- Account
- A free account is required. ChessChat is for adults aged 18 and over.
Frequently asked questions
How does the video chat work during a game?
Your browser asks for camera and microphone access once. When you are paired with an opponent, both streams connect automatically alongside the board, using WebRTC through LiveKit. There is no call to dial and no link to exchange: the video is part of the game session.
Can I play with my camera off?
Yes. The camera and the microphone have separate toggles, and either can be turned off mid-game and back on again. The board, the clock and the rating all work exactly the same with the camera off.
Is the video recorded or stored?
No. Camera and microphone streams are live only and are not recorded or stored. The single exception is a safety one: when a player submits a report, one still frame of the reported player's video is captured so that a human can review the report.
Does chess with video chat work on a phone?
Yes. ChessChat is built for phones as well as desktops and works in mobile Chrome and mobile Safari, front camera included. It can also be installed to your home screen and run like an app.
Do I need Zoom, Discord or any other app for the video?
No. The video is built into the game. Running a chess site in one window and a video call in another is exactly the arrangement ChessChat exists to replace.
Who else can see my camera?
Your opponent. In a lobby or tournament game the host running it may be allowed to watch that game. Nobody else can join a game they are not part of: the server checks every connection rather than relying on an unlisted link.