It's the domain name.
Many of the players on chess.com are titled and are eligible to free membership. Don't know the percentage.
I have played on both sites and prefer Lichess but wish titled players were not permitted to hide their identity on Lichess.
I have played on both sites and prefer Lichess but wish titled players were not permitted to hide their identity on Lichess.
chess.scam is the Justin Bieber of chess (popular, but trash).
lichess is the Bach of chess (not as popular, but incomparably superior).
lichess is the Bach of chess (not as popular, but incomparably superior).
Lichess, in my opinion, is much better in all categories.
Also, I guess now is a good a time as any to point out that the majority of people looking to evade cheat detection go to chess.com because they feel that their anti-cheat is better than Lichess' and they want the challenge.
Further, Lichess has also spent years evolving out a massive amount of cheaters who have taken residence at chess.com because they got away with it for much longer while playing over there.
So, besides Lichess already being a better site with a superior interface, features, and programmers who are always making updates as the ideas arise...it's also free and, therefore, encourages the totality of the chess world, whether they can afford $100 US dollars a year, or not, to fully invest themselves and to make the most of this beautiful game.
The best quality resource, for free, for the people by the people.
This is a very rare instance on this planet and it'd be nice to see Lichess as the flagship to this kind of a thing, worldwide, in all venues.
Also, I guess now is a good a time as any to point out that the majority of people looking to evade cheat detection go to chess.com because they feel that their anti-cheat is better than Lichess' and they want the challenge.
Further, Lichess has also spent years evolving out a massive amount of cheaters who have taken residence at chess.com because they got away with it for much longer while playing over there.
So, besides Lichess already being a better site with a superior interface, features, and programmers who are always making updates as the ideas arise...it's also free and, therefore, encourages the totality of the chess world, whether they can afford $100 US dollars a year, or not, to fully invest themselves and to make the most of this beautiful game.
The best quality resource, for free, for the people by the people.
This is a very rare instance on this planet and it'd be nice to see Lichess as the flagship to this kind of a thing, worldwide, in all venues.
Simply put, network effect. As more people go to chess.com, that in itself will attract more people. People love to confirm & go with whatever is most popular & advertised. And with more people, chess.com makes more money & thus advertises & co-opts chess even more, thus attracting more people... and it becomes an avalanche. This is how monopolies are made.
I wouldn't attribute malice to chess.com. They're an American Big Business and they're going about things the only way American Big Business knows how to: by steam-rolling everyone with wads of cash, monopolising markets, embrace, extend, monetise, turn it into entertainment and ultimately Americanise chess globally. In a decade it is quite possible that chess.com will consign even FIDE to utter irrelevance. Lichess of course stands as much chance of upsetting this juggernaut as Linux does of Windows on the desktop. Big Money is impossible to beat. You'll have to wait for them to shit on chess so much that there's a global, groundswell and renaissance.
People don't realise the danger of cancerous capitalism. Lichess of all places should have some awareness but no, nine out of ten respondents keep taking about "slicker interface", which is totally irrelevant in the big picture.
I wouldn't attribute malice to chess.com. They're an American Big Business and they're going about things the only way American Big Business knows how to: by steam-rolling everyone with wads of cash, monopolising markets, embrace, extend, monetise, turn it into entertainment and ultimately Americanise chess globally. In a decade it is quite possible that chess.com will consign even FIDE to utter irrelevance. Lichess of course stands as much chance of upsetting this juggernaut as Linux does of Windows on the desktop. Big Money is impossible to beat. You'll have to wait for them to shit on chess so much that there's a global, groundswell and renaissance.
People don't realise the danger of cancerous capitalism. Lichess of all places should have some awareness but no, nine out of ten respondents keep taking about "slicker interface", which is totally irrelevant in the big picture.
Lichess has way too many bots - and they are vindictive, unleasing them if you abuse another bot. Pathetic chess site.
@ohcomeon_1 said in #20:
> Because of the only thing that chess.com does better than lichess: PR.
Interestingly, Puzzle Rush was one of those things that really gave Chess.com a boost and demonstrated the difference in their business model compared to lichess.
Lichess' open source model means its features and directions are determined by existing chess players - what would they like to see and have and do. Hence its appeal to people with a similar aesthetic.
As the market leader, it's in Chess.com's interest to grow the game overall - they'll lose some of those new people to other places like lichess, but so long as their product is good enough, they'll retain enough of them to make it worth their while. So Chess.com is always looking at how they can attract new players to the game - what can they build or sponsor or do that will interest new people in chess? Hence they have things like the Speed Chess Championship with the very best players, and the POG Champs with streamers, hence they'll try to provide interesting and entertaining commentary for big chess events, and sponsor events and try and make them more attractive to new people. They'll introduce features and sometimes they'll flop but sometimes they'll resonate and result in a big win for them, like Puzzle Rush was and like Mittens has been.
So even if you think lichess is far superior to Chess.com in every way and that Chess.com is just PR and corporate capitalism and money-oriented, at least give them credit for attracting new people to the game that you love - people who might never have come to the game of chess at all.
> Because of the only thing that chess.com does better than lichess: PR.
Interestingly, Puzzle Rush was one of those things that really gave Chess.com a boost and demonstrated the difference in their business model compared to lichess.
Lichess' open source model means its features and directions are determined by existing chess players - what would they like to see and have and do. Hence its appeal to people with a similar aesthetic.
As the market leader, it's in Chess.com's interest to grow the game overall - they'll lose some of those new people to other places like lichess, but so long as their product is good enough, they'll retain enough of them to make it worth their while. So Chess.com is always looking at how they can attract new players to the game - what can they build or sponsor or do that will interest new people in chess? Hence they have things like the Speed Chess Championship with the very best players, and the POG Champs with streamers, hence they'll try to provide interesting and entertaining commentary for big chess events, and sponsor events and try and make them more attractive to new people. They'll introduce features and sometimes they'll flop but sometimes they'll resonate and result in a big win for them, like Puzzle Rush was and like Mittens has been.
So even if you think lichess is far superior to Chess.com in every way and that Chess.com is just PR and corporate capitalism and money-oriented, at least give them credit for attracting new people to the game that you love - people who might never have come to the game of chess at all.
Hate it or don't but chess.com will be the absolute future of chess.
Some people get impressed by brand names. It doesn't matter if brand X is better or not than Y. As long as you believe it to be better you buy it.
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