Online chess sites:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Lichess was the most searched online chess site worldwide, accounting for 53.9% of all searches among the six sites we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Chess.com showed up in every answer. Chess.com was recommended most often, coming first in four out of five responses.
LichessShare of searches 53.9%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
Chess.comShare of searches 44.1%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
ChessKidShare of searches 0.97%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
ChessableShare of searches 0.44%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
SparkChessShare of searches 0.44%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
Follow online chess sites and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top online chess sites in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Chess.com appeared every time. Chess.com was recommended most often, coming first in four out of five answers. Lichess was second, and SparkChess was third. ChessKid, which ranked third in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Chess.com1st
- Lichess2nd
- SparkChess3rd
Chess Tempo4th- Chessable5th
- ChessKid–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Chess.com5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Lichess3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Chess Tempo3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- SparkChess2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Chessable1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- ChessKid0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about online chess sites
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which online chess site should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best online chess sites?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best online chess site for playing chess?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“play chess online”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“online chess game”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Which online chess sites do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each online chess site by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six online chess sites we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Lichess, Chess.com. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Lichess | Chess.com | ChessKid | Chessable | SparkChess | Chess Tempo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 62.8% | 34.3% | 1.4% | 0.62% | 0.62% | 0.23% |
| Nov 2025 | 63% | 34.4% | 1.1% | 0.62% | 0.62% | 0.23% |
| Dec 2025 | 63% | 34.4% | 1.1% | 0.62% | 0.62% | 0.23% |
| Jan 2026 | 58.5% | 39.1% | 1.1% | 0.58% | 0.58% | 0.26% |
| Feb 2026 | 62.9% | 34.4% | 1.4% | 0.51% | 0.62% | 0.23% |
| Mar 2026 | 58.4% | 39% | 1.3% | 0.47% | 0.58% | 0.26% |
| Apr 2026 | 58.3% | 39% | 1.3% | 0.58% | 0.58% | 0.26% |
| May 2026 | 58.2% | 38.9% | 1.6% | 0.58% | 0.58% | 0.26% |
| Jun 2026 | 58.7% | 39.3% | 0.86% | 0.47% | 0.47% | 0.21% |
| Jul 2026 | 63.5% | 34.7% | 0.51% | 0.51% | 0.51% | 0.23% |
| Aug 2026 | 58.8% | 39.3% | 0.71% | 0.48% | 0.48% | 0.26% |
| Sep 2026 | 53.9% | 44.1% | 0.97% | 0.44% | 0.44% | 0.2% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 53.9% | 7.5M | 0% | -4.9 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 44.1% | 6.1M | +22.4% | +4.8 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 0.97% | 135K | +49.2% | +0.3 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 0.44% | 60.5K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 0.44% | 60.5K | 0% | 0 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 0.2% | 27.1K | -18.1% | -0.1 points |
1.
Lichess53.9%
Held 1st. 7.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -4.9 points.
44.1%
Held 2nd. 6.1M estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share +4.8 points.
3.
ChessKid0.97%
Held 3rd. 135K estimated branded searches, +49.2% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.
0.44%
Held 4th. 60.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.44%
Held 5th. 60.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
0.2%
Held 6th. 27.1K estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among online chess sites worldwide?
6 brands
In September 2026, Lichess was the most searched among online chess sites worldwide, with an estimated 7.5M branded searches, 53.9% of all searches for the six we track. Chess.com is in 2nd place, 9.8 percentage points behind at 44.1%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lichess | 62.8% → 53.9% | 63.5%Jul 2026 | 53.9%Sep 2026 | 1st |
| Chess.com | 34.3% → 44.1% | 44.1%Sep 2026 | 34.3%Oct 2025 | 2nd |
| ChessKid | 1.4% → 0.97% | 1.6%May 2026 | 0.51%Jul 2026 | 3rd |
| Chessable | 0.62% → 0.44% | 0.62%Nov 2025 | 0.44%Sep 2026 | 4th |
| SparkChess | 0.62% → 0.44% | 0.62%Nov 2025 | 0.44%Sep 2026 | 5th |
| Chess Tempo | 0.23% → 0.2% | 0.26%Aug 2026 | 0.2%Sep 2026 | 6th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lichess’ share of searches among online chess sites worldwide decreased from 62.8% to 53.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chess.com’s share of searches among online chess sites worldwide increased from 34.3% to 44.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lichess’ share of searches among online chess sites worldwide peaked at 63.5% in July 2026 and was lowest at 53.9% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, ChessKid’s share of searches among online chess sites worldwide peaked at 1.6% in May 2026 and was lowest at 0.51% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, ChessKid, Chessable, SparkChess and Chess Tempo held steady: their share of searches among online chess sites worldwide each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for online chess sites worldwide in September 2026?
5 changes
In September 2026, Chess.com gained share of searches among online chess sites worldwide, from 39.3% to 44.1%.
In September 2026, Lichess lost share of searches among online chess sites worldwide, from 58.8% to 53.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Chessable worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 74K to 60.5K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for SparkChess worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 74K to 60.5K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for ChessKid worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 165K to 135K in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
See your own brand in this picture
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to your campaigns, spend and outcomes, so you can see what moved your numbers, not just that they moved.