3. Lidraughts

What it is

Lidraughts is a draughts server that runs in the browser. Its about page explains the origin: there was no site for international draughts comparable to Lichess, so one was built on Lichess’s open-source framework and adapted to the game. The same page is careful to add that the two projects are not formally affiliated. Lidraughts describes itself as free, libre, without adverts and open source, and powered by volunteers.

The main game is international draughts on the 10×10 board, where captures are compulsory and a crowned piece moves any distance along a diagonal. The variants page adds Frisian, Frysk!, Antidraughts, Breakthrough, Russian and Brazilian, the last of them on an 8×8 board. For anyone who grew up with a smaller board, that list is a welcome bridge.

How a session goes

If you have used Lichess, the layout will feel familiar at once. You can create a game in the lobby, play with a friend or play with the computer. For learning there are puzzles, including a puzzle of the day, practice exercises and coordinate training to make the board’s notation second nature. An analysis board and a board editor let you set up and examine any position.

Competitive play takes the shape of Arena and Swiss tournaments. The open tournaments on the front page are labelled by speed and variant, for example Hourly Bullet, Frisian Blitz or Yearly Antidraughts, which makes it easy to find a game of the kind you like. There are also simultaneous exhibitions, teams, a forum, Lidraughts TV and broadcasts. Studies let you collect positions and annotate them, a good habit for anyone working on endgames.

The site’s strength is that it treats draughts as a game worth studying, not as a quick filler between other games. The tools a chess player takes for granted are here for draughts as well.

The time it asks for

The tournament names show the range: HyperBullet, Bullet, SuperBlitz, Blitz and Rapid. A fast game fits into a coffee break, while a rapid game asks for a calm sitting. Puzzles and coordinate training are the easiest way to keep a daily habit down to a few minutes.

As with any site built on fast pairings, the next game is always one click away, so it helps to decide on a number before you begin.

How it pays its way

Lidraughts is free, and the homepage adds the word “really”, with a link to its features page, to make the point. There are no adverts and no membership tiers. The project is run by volunteers, which also explains its tone: it reads like a site made by people who play the game themselves.

Who it suits, and who it doesn’t

The balance