Common questions about the ChessLvl platform, ladder, and rivals.
Yes. ChessLvl is free to play — no signup required to start, though signing in lets you save your progress across devices.
Each of the 100 rivals is powered by Stockfish (a world-class chess engine) with custom parameters that control search depth, blunder rate, and opening preferences. This gives each rival a distinct playstyle — some are aggressive, some positional, some prone to tactical mistakes.
Beat the rival at your current level. Every win moves you up one level. Losses don't move you down — you keep your progress and can try again.
Pawn (1-10), Knight (11-25), Bishop (26-50), Rook (51-75), Queen (76-99), King (100). Each tier represents a chess skill jump — beginner, club player, tournament player, expert, master, and finally grandmaster.