Chess challenges, played for a stake
Pick an amount and post it. Anyone can accept, the game runs on Lichess, and the winner takes the pot.
New accounts start with 100 USDV, so you can stake up to 100 to begin. Posting signs you in with Lichess and keeps these choices. No wallet, no deposit: we hand you the test funds to stake.
Recently settled
Paid out from the escrow contract, automatically.
stockastick beat KP2kpx
25 USDV · 3+2
bchesstest beat bittenrat
10 USDV · 1+0
KP2kpx beat alt1729_eth
5 USDV · 2+1
Live on Lichess
Every BitChess game is a real game on Lichess. This is what is being played there right now.
Top rated bullet
Open on LichessOne minute each, and usually the highest-rated game running anywhere on Lichess.
Top rated blitz
Open on LichessA little more thinking time. The speed our 3+2 challenges are played at.
How it works
Post a challenge
Pick a stake and a time control. It goes on the public board for anyone to take, and expires by itself after five minutes.
Someone accepts
Both stakes go into escrow in a single transaction, and the game opens on Lichess straight away. No lobby, no waiting screen.
Winner takes the pot
The result settles automatically from the finished game, with both browsers closed. Draws and aborted games return both stakes.
Why the result can be trusted
We do not judge the chess
Every match is a real, rated game on Lichess, and we read the outcome from them, along with their anti-cheat marks. We handle the matchmaking and the stakes. The chess stays where it is already trusted.
We cannot take your money
Your account is secured by a passkey that never leaves your device. The permission you give us is capped and enforced on-chain: it can move a stake into escrow, and it can do nothing else. The winner is paid by the contract, not by us.
Questions
Is this real money?
No. Stakes are USDV on vibenet, a test network, and it has no cash value. We hand you some when you sign up. Nothing here can cost you anything you would miss, which is the point of running on a testnet while the rules are still being proved.
Do you hold my funds?
No. Your account is your own, secured by a passkey that never leaves your device. The permission you grant us is capped and enforced by the contract: it can move a stake into escrow when you accept a challenge, and it can do nothing else. It cannot withdraw, and you can revoke it.
What stops someone cheating with an engine?
The same thing that stops them on Lichess, because the game is on Lichess. We read their result and their anti-cheat marks rather than judging the chess ourselves. A player Lichess has marked is a player we know about.
What if the game is drawn, or never starts?
Both stakes come back. Draws return both, and so does a game that is aborted or never gets underway. An unaccepted challenge expires after five minutes and nothing is staked at all.
Do I need a wallet, or any crypto?
No. There is nothing to install and no wallet to connect. You log in with the Lichess account you already have, and an account is created for you behind the scenes the first time you play.
Public chess, for a stake.
Post a challenge for any amount. Anyone can accept. The winner takes the pot, and the game is a real rated game on Lichess.
Log in with Lichess to playNo wallet. No download. No deposit. Log in with the Lichess account you already have, and we hand you test funds to play with.