How to Use Chess.com and Lichess for Structured Improvement
Both Chess.com and Lichess offer powerful free study tools that most players underuse. Here's how to turn online platforms into serious training environments.
Chess.com and Lichess are usually treated as game-playing platforms — which they are, primarily. But both offer sophisticated free study tools that, used correctly, can organise and accelerate your training significantly.
Lichess Studies
Lichess Studies allow you to create annotated game collections with variations, comments, embedded diagrams, and persistent URLs. They're completely free and work like a collaborative whiteboard. Use them to build your opening repertoire database, store annotated games, and share analysis with training partners in real time.
Chess.com Lessons and Courses
Chess.com's lesson system includes structured courses at every level, organised by topic. The platform's learning pathways are well-designed for players who benefit from guided structure rather than self-directed study. The game analysis tool with computer assistance is also well-implemented for post-game review.
Setting Up a Study Schedule on Both Platforms
Use Lichess for: game analysis, puzzle training (Lichess's puzzle interface is excellent), and repertoire storage. Use Chess.com for: structured learning courses and live game analysis. Both platforms have strong mobile apps, which makes it practical to fit study into spare moments during the day.