People who enjoy playing and sharpening their skills at chess have a wide array of methods online for continuing their engagement with the game, in the process getting in touch with new competitors and fellow students of the game to learn from. In particular, a boon exists for chess enthusiasts who are also web- and tech-savvy in the form of the proliferation of free chess applications provided through online services. Such sites offer to online chess players the inducement of playing free chess through easy-to-use web interfaces and also making contact through the practice of social media with a wider world of chess players.
Players interested in the concept of free chess should be aware that there are many online chess services which enjoy high levels of popularity but also requires the payment of fees. Though the decision to acquire such services may be easily made by some individuals who enjoy a high degree of financial security and consequently access to ample discretionary funds, for many players who are trying to put their love of the game into practice without imperilling themselves financially, the free chess websites may prove to be the best route for extending their enthusiasm into the online world.
That being said, the option of free chess online services should not be the only one considered by players who otherwise possess the financial means for paying for the subscriptions to such sites. One of the first online chess clubs is called, appropriately, Chessclub.com, which dates back to 1992, and has since built a solid base of support from its many and loyal users. The quality of players found on such sites in terms of commitment to the game and level of skill may be found to be greater than the level of players who frequent free chess websites, so the opportunities offered by sites like Chessclub.com should not be discounted. Another highly recommended choice often made by online chess aficionados exists in the form of Chessbase, a German run software company that at a fee provides access to a network of online players who can go up in number to over 1,000 people logged at any normal time of traffic for the site.
A prominent provider of free chess services for users who are unwilling or unable to make the financial investment in a subscription site like Chessclub or Chessbase exists in the shape of The Free Internet Chess Server, accessible at freechess.com, which has an announced membership of over 300,000 players. In appealing to less dedicated, more casual chess players, the free chess sites may also offer more introductory services for the starting chess player. At Chess.com, another free chess website, basic instruction on how to play the game can be found for visitors, who will also be able access a wide range of chess players without paying a fee at numbers which can exceed more than 3,000 on some evenings. Online chess players should go by their level of expertise and financial resources.


