5 Ways to Play Titled Players on Lichess

1 - Simuls

Under the 'Play' section at the top, there will be an option to join a 'simultaneous exhibition'. Here, you usually should find titled/strong players giving simuls. If you don't know what a 'simultaneous exhibition' or 'simul' is, it's where a player plays against several opponents at the same, switching between boards.

2 - Lichess Tournaments

Again under the 'Play' section, you will find different Arena and Swiss tournaments. In order to maximise chances of playing against a titled player, make sure to win your first game(s) to have the most chance (seeing as the strong/titled players were also likely to win, making you be on the same number of points.) Another tip is to play in the Daily or even weekly tournaments, to have a higher chance to play a titled player.

3 - Direct Challenge

Challenging someone directly is not guaranteed to get you a game, in fact it's very unlikely. However, I guess it's worth a try. To challenge someone, go onto their profile and click the challenge icon. Make sure to challenge a player only when they're online, and preferably not already playing a game.

4 - Participate in their Streams

Sometimes players play against their viewers on stream. So if this is the case, log on to Lichess and follow their instructions. Usually it's as simple as sending them a challenge. Despite this, once more it's not guaranteed you'll get a game. However, this time at least there's a fair chance, especially is the challenges coming in are low.

5 - Reach Higher ELO (2200+)

I say this for a few reasons. Firstly, 2200 ELO means you are allowed to play in the Lichess 'Elite Arena' for that time control. This is good because the competition is higher than the usual Hourly tournaments, making it more likely you'll get to play a titled player. As well as this, it means that in any Arena or Swiss tournament you play in, you are more likely to win as you are stronger, meaning your position in the tournament is higher. Finally, a higher rating means the more likelihood of your requested opponent accepting your challenge.

I hope you enjoyed!