Play with friends
Play chess with a friend without an account
Every other chess site wants the same three things before you can move a single pawn: an account, a verified email, and a username for your friend to search for. That's three chances for the game to simply not happen — and if your friend doesn't play chess online, it's usually where they give up.
Knight Boards asks for none of it. There is no sign-up, no app to install and no username — you create a free game, send one private link in whatever chat you already use, and you're playing in real time. It works on any phone, tablet or laptop, and the two of you don't need to be on the same kind of device — or the same continent.
Start a game in three steps
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1
Create a game. Pick your colour — white, black, or let the site choose at random — and a time control: 5, 10 or 30 minutes per side, or no clock at all for a relaxed game.
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2
Share the private link. Copy your game link and send it however you already talk — WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, Slack, email. The link is the invitation; there's no username to look up and no code to type.
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3
Play in real time. The moment your friend opens the link they take the other seat and the board comes alive: moves appear instantly, clocks tick, and every rule of chess — castling, en passant, promotion, draws — is enforced for you.
Why a private link beats accounts
The hardest part of playing chess online with a friend has never been the chess — it's getting the other person to the board. Every account your friend has to create is a chance for the game to simply not happen. A link, on the other hand, works on anyone: your dad, a colleague on their lunch break, a friend on another continent who's never used a chess site in their life.
Because the link is private and unguessable, your game is effectively invitation-only. Nobody can wander into your board, and the game page is kept out of search engines entirely. When the game is over, the link simply stops mattering.
No accounts also means nothing to remember. Your browser keeps your seat, so if you refresh the page, switch tabs or lose signal on the train, you reopen the link and carry on. Your friend can be on an iPhone while you're on a laptop — the board is designed for touch and mouse alike.
Real chess clocks — when you want them
Playing with a clock changes the game: blunders happen, comebacks happen, and nobody can disappear to make a coffee while you wait. Knight Boards offers 5, 10 and 30 minutes per side, with the clocks checked on the server so neither player's laggy connection can bend the rules.
If you'd rather think as long as you like — teaching a beginner, playing a serious game, or leaving the tab open and moving whenever suits you both — start an untimed game instead. The position waits on the server until you're both back.
Built to survive real life
Online games with friends fail in boring ways: a tab gets closed, a phone locks, wifi drops. Knight Boards keeps the entire game — position, move history, clocks, draw offers — on the server, not in your browser tab. Reopen your link and you're back exactly where you were. You can even switch devices mid-game: start on your laptop, finish on your phone.
And when the game does end — checkmate, resignation, a draw you both agree to, or a flag falling — the result is shown to both players and the finished board stays reviewable, so you can scroll back through the moves and argue about where it all went wrong. That's half the fun of playing friends.
Frequently asked questions
Do we both need to install an app?
No. Everything runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers. Neither player installs anything or creates an account.
How does my friend join my game?
Send them your game link in any messaging app. The first person to open it takes the empty seat automatically — no lobby, no code, no password.
Can we play without clocks?
Yes — choose the untimed option when creating the game and take as long as you like over every move.
What if one of us closes the tab mid-game?
Nothing is lost. The game lives on the server; reopening the link puts you straight back at the board with position, history and clocks intact.
Can we play another game after we finish?
Yes — create a fresh game and send the new link. Swap colours or change the time control for the rematch if you like.
Is it really free?
Completely. No premium tier, no move limit, no paywall — creating games, inviting friends and playing are all free.
Questions about playing with friends
Do my friend and I both need to install an app to play chess online? +
No. Knight Boards runs entirely in the web browser on phones, tablets and computers. Neither player installs anything or creates an account — one of you creates a game and the other opens the link.
How does my friend join my chess game? +
Send them your private game link in any messaging app. The first person to open it takes the empty seat automatically and the game begins — there is no lobby, code or password.
Can we play a casual chess game without clocks? +
Yes. Choose the untimed option when creating the game and take as long as you like over each move. If you prefer clocks, there are 5, 10 and 30 minute options per side.
What happens if one of us closes the tab mid-game? +
Nothing is lost. The game lives on the server, so reopening the same link puts you straight back at the board with the position, move history and clocks exactly as you left them.
Can we play another game when we finish? +
Yes — create a fresh game and send the new link. It takes a few seconds, and you can swap colours or change the time control for the rematch.
Is playing chess with friends on Knight Boards really free? +
Completely. There is no premium tier, no move limit and no advertising wall — creating games, inviting friends and playing are all free.
Keep learning chess
Your friend is one link away.
Create a free game now and send the link — you'll be playing before they've finished asking "white or black?".
Create a free game