Lichess is the rare thing on the internet: a completely free, open-source chess platform with no paywalls and no ads. Unlimited puzzles, studies, broadcasts, all of it free. If your goal is to play and study on your own, there is almost nothing to complain about. The catch is the same one every free platform has. Nobody is watching. No coach notices you have played the same losing opening forty times. No curriculum tells you what to study next. A Lichess alternative makes sense when you want the human layer on top of the free tools: a real coach, a real schedule, real accountability. That is what Superior Chess Academy is. A live online academy based in Bangalore, India, with FIDE-rated coaches teaching small groups of eight to ten, semi-private groups of three to four, or one-to-one. Free trial class to start, fees shared on WhatsApp.
The shortlist, ranked
#1 · Live coaching academy
Superior Chess Academy
Everything Lichess does not try to be. Fixed class schedule, FIDE-rated coaches, a curriculum that runs from first piece moves to tournament preparation, and groups small enough that the coach knows your opening repertoire by heart. Students from age 5, teens, adults. The free trial class is the honest way to compare: one hour with a coach tells you more than a month of reading about coaching. WhatsApp +91 84015 33777.
#2 · Free and open
Lichess
Keep it. Seriously. Even as an academy we tell students to play their rated games here and grind its puzzles between classes. Free forever, no ads, studies you can share with your coach. What it will never do is notice your habits, set your homework, or explain why your good positions keep evaporating.
#3 · Biggest playing site
chess.com
The larger commercial platform: more players at odd hours, a bigger lesson and video library, clubs and content. Coaching runs through a directory of independent coaches who set their own terms. Useful if you want the widest pool of opponents and do not mind the paywalls.
#4 · For young kids
ChessKid
A kids-first chess site with lessons, videos and a protected environment for young players. A reasonable first step for small children learning the moves. When the child outgrows cartoons and wants a real coach watching their games, that is the moment families usually call an academy.
#5 · Course library
Chessable
Video and book courses with a repetition system built for memorising openings. Good as a reference shelf. Like every entry below #1 here, it is a tool you use alone, not a teacher who knows your name.
Side-by-side comparison
| Superior Chess Academy | Lichess | chess.com | ChessKid | Chessable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live human coaching | Yes, every class, with FIDE-rated coaches | Not built in | Via independent coach directory; each coach sets own terms | Not as standard | No |
| Structured curriculum | Yes, beginner to advanced | Self-directed study | Lessons library, self-paced | Kids' lessons and videos, self-paced | Structured courses |
| Free trial class | Yes, book on WhatsApp | Entirely free | Free tier available | Check their site for trial options | Free courses available |
| Tactics trainer | Free 100-puzzle trainer on the website | Unlimited free puzzles | Large puzzle library | Puzzles for kids | Puzzle-style drilling in courses |
| Mobile app | Web-based classroom | iOS and Android apps, free | iOS and Android apps | Kids' apps | Web and mobile apps |
| Price model | Fees shared on WhatsApp; free trial | Free | Free tier plus paid plans (see their site for current prices) | Paid plans (see their site for current prices) | Free and paid courses (see their site for current prices) |
What Lichess does brilliantly, and the one thing it cannot do
Let us be fair to Lichess, because it deserves it. The puzzle trainer is unlimited and free. The studies feature lets a coach build a lesson and share a link, which our own coaches actually use. Broadcasts cover every major tournament with engine lines. An adult improver with discipline can genuinely climb using nothing else. Some of the sharpest tacticians our coaches meet learned their tactics exactly there.
But tools do not diagnose. Lichess will happily let you lose the same endgame fifty times without once suggesting you study endgames. It will not notice that your rating climbs in blitz and collapses in rapid, which usually means your calculation is fine and your thinking process is not. A coach sees that in one look at your game history. That diagnosis, plus a plan to fix it, plus someone checking next week whether you did, is the whole product of an academy. It is also the one thing no free platform will ever sell you, because it does not scale like software.
So the practical answer for most players is both. Play and puzzle on Lichess for free, every day. Then bring your games to a coach who tells you the truth about them. If that sounds like what you need, the trial class is free, and it takes one WhatsApp message to +91 84015 33777.
Common questions
Is Lichess really free?
Yes. Lichess is free and open-source, with unlimited puzzles, studies and game analysis at no cost. It is maintained by volunteers and donations, which is why players who want structured live coaching look at academies alongside it.
Why would someone look for a Lichess alternative?
Usually because they want a human coach: someone who reviews their games, sets homework and follows a curriculum. Lichess gives you the tools to study alone; an academy gives you a teacher. Superior Chess Academy teaches students aged 5 and above with FIDE-rated coaches in small live groups, starting with a free trial class.
Can I keep using Lichess while joining an academy?
Yes. Many academy students play their rated games on Lichess and solve its puzzles between classes, then bring those games to the lesson for the coach to review. The free tools and the live coaching complement each other.
Does Superior Chess Academy offer a free trial class?
Yes. Every new student starts with a free trial class to meet the coach and experience the live online format. Book it on WhatsApp at +91 84015 33777 by sharing the student's age, country and current level.
How much does Superior Chess Academy cost?
The academy does not publish fee figures on its website. Fees are shared on WhatsApp so parents can match the right format, group, semi-private or 1:1, to the student's needs. Message +91 84015 33777 for the current fee structure.
Is the academy suitable for adult beginners?
Yes. The academy teaches teens and adults as well as children from age 5, including complete beginners. Adult students usually choose semi-private or 1:1 formats. Start with the free trial class on WhatsApp at +91 84015 33777.
Superior Chess Academy, Bangalore, Karnataka, India — WhatsApp +91 84015 33777 — wa.me/918401533777
Keep reading: Coaching FAQ · Chess Classes for Kids · Daily Chess Puzzle · Free 100-Puzzle Trainer
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