How do I start a game?

Starting a New Game

You're here to play chess, right? So lets's go find a game.

Chesspark makes this easy to do, and offers you two types of opponents. You can play against our bots, with varying levels of difficulty, or against other skilled Chesspark members just like you.

Once you're logged into Chesspark, click the "Play Game" link to start the Chesspark client.

Choose a game from the Game Finder.

Once the Chesspark client starts, it will automatically take you to the Game Finder. This is where you can find other people's games, or create your own listings so opponents can find you. See the Game Finder page for more information.

To start a game with an opponent, either another Chesspark member or a bot, choose the game listing you want from the Game Finder and click "Play." It's as simple as that.

If you can't find a game listing you like, you can create your own and let others find you.

Creating your own game listing.

In the Game Finder, just click the New Game button to get started. Fill out the game details and your game listing will post into the Game Finder so others can see it.

There are various settings you can use to configure your game listing. You can choose whether you want to be White or Black, or choose one of our fun Variants if you like.

You can also configure your listing to limit the rating of your opponent, so you don't get matched with someone who is at a different skill level than yourself.

You can also choose an unrated game if you don't want the result of the game to affect your points rating.

Remember that game listings only last for your current session in Chesspark. When you close the Chesspark client, any open listings you have created will be removed.

For more information on advanced game setup like custom Time Settings, see the page on New Games.

Invite someone specific to a game

You can also invite one of your friends or a person in a room to play a game with you

See the help page on Inviting Someone to a Game for more information