Chess.com vs. Lichess

[Alexander Schmidt]

I played on Chess.com for years. In the beginning, I had a paid account and really enjoyed it. However, over time, I noticed a pattern: sometimes when I played very focused I would go on a winning streak, but then, suddenly, I’d start losing 10 - 20 games. My opponents would make no blunders, playing nearly perfectly and very quickly. I often suspected that some of them were cheating.

As my rating dropped, I started getting easier opponents and went on another winning streak. I suspect Chess.com pairs suspicious players against each other, and once you’re caught in that cycle, there is no way out.

I’ve since switched back to Lichess, and now I experience a natural balance — I win some, and I lose some. There are no strange streaks, and my rating is 300 - 400 Elo points higher than it was on Chess.com.

Has anyone else observed this behavior? It would be incredibly inappropriate to be on a list of suspected players without knowing it and being punished in such a way.

[hammerklavier]

Exactly... chess.com is really a horrible experience. What you describe is exactly what happens. Sometimes I think there are bots playing like people, many times openings are repeated, strange openings... If you open a new user everything changes... until you end up in the same situation again. On the other hand lichess is much more pleasant. You are a Strong player, when you see that game after game the rivals play with perfection, there is really something suspicious....

[BrendanJNorman]

GM Kramnik might go to the extreme a bit (then again, maybe not), but it really is true that chess.com does not even close to enough to combat the hundreds of cheaters, esp in the upper rating bounds.

Lichess at least tries.

Big fan of lichess.

[Uri Blass]

I played on Chess.com for years. In the beginning, I had a paid account and really enjoyed it. However, over time, I noticed a pattern: sometimes when I played very focused I would go on a winning streak, but then, suddenly, I’d start losing 10 - 20 games. My opponents would make no blunders, playing nearly perfectly and very quickly. I often suspected that some of them were cheating.

As my rating dropped, I started getting easier opponents and went on another winning streak. I suspect Chess.com pairs suspicious players against each other, and once you’re caught in that cycle, there is no way out.

I’ve since switched back to Lichess, and now I experience a natural balance — I win some, and I lose some. There are no strange streaks, and my rating is 300 - 400 Elo points higher than it was on Chess.com.

Has anyone else observed this behavior? It would be incredibly inappropriate to be on a list of suspected players without knowing it and being punished in such a way.

For the part that your rating in lichess is higher than it is meaningless to compare numbers in different systems unless you have a convertion table.

There is a conversion table in this link

https://chessgoals.com/rating-comparison/

I do not know what is the time control and what is the rating so I cannot compare but you can compare in the following link

For example 1300 in blitz in chesscom is equivalent to 1630 in blitz in lichess.

[Alexander Schmidt]

Thanks, interesting page.

This explains part of the rating difference. However, the more I play on Lichess against humans, the more I get the impression that I may have played often against bots on Chess.com.

[reflectionofpower]

I used to think that too about cheaters on chess.com, but after a while if you notice the more games you play the worse you get. It's like gambling. The more you play, the more you lose. You start just moving pieces without really thinking that somehow the magic will just happen. What's really happening is you're getting just getting really sloppy.

You will find if you keep a certain range of games played that's best for you, your rating gradually increases. Then you start thinking you are magical and go on a 6-8 hour barrage and lose everything and more. My rating on Lichess is about +300 rating points higher.

I have noticed that also when I am playing you think you have a purpose but if you really start thinking about it, you are m=not really thinking or having a purpose in playing that the way you do.

I just went on there for laughs and giggles and I just woke up. No food in my stomach and I am half asleep and this game was won but I blew it on time. I am black. My type of game. Swash buckling attack mode. I will play on Lichess today for a while and see how I play with minimal games.

[Event "Rated blitz game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/49w628yX"]
[Date "2024.09.28"]
[White "AntonSushkov"]
[Black "Mr_Toxic"]
[Result "1-0"]
[UTCDate "2024.09.28"]
[UTCTime "12:36:16"]
[WhiteElo "1934"]
[BlackElo "1938"]
[WhiteRatingDiff "+6"]
[BlackRatingDiff "-8"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[TimeControl "180+0"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Opening "Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation"]
[Termination "Time forfeit"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nxd5 4. Nxd5 Qxd5 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 Nc6 7. O-O O-O-O 8. h3 Bh5 9. d3 e5 10. Be3 f5 11. Bg5 Rd7 12. Nd2 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 h6 14. Bh4 g5 15. Bg3 Bg7 16. Nc4 Re8 17. Rfe1 f4 18. Bh2 Rde7 19. Nd2 Nd4 20. Qg4+ Kb8 21. Rec1 Bf6 22. Ne4 Qf7 23. Kh1 h5 24. Qd1 g4 25. Nxf6 Qxf6 26. hxg4 hxg4 27. Qxg4 Rg7 28. Qd1 Reg8 29. g3 fxg3 30. fxg3 Rxg3 31. c3 Nf3 32. Rc2 Qh4 33. Qe2 1-0

[towforce]

Some chess servers allow you to use computers to make the moves as long as you specify that on your account, so that all opponents can clearly see it (it's marked with a "C"), and can choose to not play against you. That seems to be a good solution to me, and I don't understand why more chess servers don't do that.

Regarding Chess.com: I like it a lot because it has a really good set of features, but I rarely play against players I don't know - so I normally already know that my opponent is a human who is not cheating.

I have never used Lichess.

[chrisw]

It’s annoying on lichess when you report a cheater they give you no feedback.

[Uri]

I think Lichess is better than the Chessbase-owned Playchess.

Playchess is full of Arabs, Islamists and internet bullies and there are not enough Israeli jewish players.

Moderation: Racism and racist abuse not tolerated here. Poster is banned for seven days.

[reflectionofpower]

Some chess servers allow you to use computers to make the moves as long as you specify that on your account, so that all opponents can clearly see it (it's marked with a "C"), and can choose to not play against you. That seems to be a good solution to me, and I don't understand why more chess servers don't do that.

Regarding Chess.com: I like it a lot because it has a really good set of features, but I rarely play against players I don't know - so I normally already know that my opponent is a human who is not cheating.

I have never used Lichess.

If I did that I would not be playing anyone. I personally go there just to play chess. I also like the disable ALL communications on chess.com as you get people who lose or win and leave stupid messages. You want to talk to me. Do it on the board through the game. I also love the losers who abandon their games, and this happens quite frequently either in a lost position or they will have 2 minutes left and then just let the time run down so they lose on time. The only thing this proves is you are not ready to handle loss.

Capablanca -- "Most players ... do not like losing, and consider defeat as something shameful. This is a wrong attitude. Those who wish to perfect themselves must regard their losses as lessons and learn from them what sorts of things to avoid in the future."