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Did you come to lichess from chess.com?

#1

With this post, I don't mean to start any drama, I'm just curious.

I'm a 100% lichess user since 2017, but I started on chess,com (probably because of the name) and then came to lichess.

It's impossible to know exactly, but I wonder what percentage of lichess users started using lichess immediately, or started on chess,com and then moved here.
Also what specifically caused them to hear about lichess and ultimately switch completely?

And what about the opposite - are there people that moved from lichess to chess,com? Why?
Or people that use both? Why?
Or people that prefer to use something other than the big two? Why?

For the record i'll type my experience/opinions.
I first saw lichess in 2017 in chessbrah's 10 second bullet challenge youtube video, but then 2 separate friends (one irl, one online) told me about lichess and that convinced me to try it out, then i stayed because of the usual reasons (everything is free, no ads, much easier to understand user interface, studies are great, etc)
Something good about chess,com might be that it's just more popular so if you want to get more opinions on game analysis you might get more responses there (but take them with a grain of salt), and random things like Master vs Many, 4 player chess etc. And videos if you can afford a membership or make master. But imo not nearly enough to switch back from lichess.

With this post, I don't mean to start any drama, I'm just curious. I'm a 100% lichess user since 2017, but I started on chess,com (probably because of the name) and then came to lichess. It's impossible to know exactly, but I wonder what percentage of lichess users started using lichess immediately, or started on chess,com and then moved here. Also what specifically caused them to hear about lichess and ultimately switch completely? And what about the opposite - are there people that moved from lichess to chess,com? Why? Or people that use both? Why? Or people that prefer to use something other than the big two? Why? For the record i'll type my experience/opinions. I first saw lichess in 2017 in chessbrah's 10 second bullet challenge youtube video, but then 2 separate friends (one irl, one online) told me about lichess and that convinced me to try it out, then i stayed because of the usual reasons (everything is free, no ads, much easier to understand user interface, studies are great, etc) Something good about chess,com might be that it's just more popular so if you want to get more opinions on game analysis you might get more responses there (but take them with a grain of salt), and random things like Master vs Many, 4 player chess etc. And videos if you can afford a membership or make master. But imo not nearly enough to switch back from lichess.
#2

I started on Chessdotcom and switched to Lichess during the Lockdown. I saw Chessdotcom gamifying chess and chess improvement to make it more addictive and profitable, to the detriment of players trying to get into chess seriously. It disgusted me so much that I made the switch. In fact I would go so far as to say the Chessdotcom company is literally evil.

I started on Chessdotcom and switched to Lichess during the Lockdown. I saw Chessdotcom gamifying chess and chess improvement to make it more addictive and profitable, to the detriment of players trying to get into chess seriously. It disgusted me so much that I made the switch. In fact I would go so far as to say the Chessdotcom company is literally evil.
#3

Too much cheaters on chessdotcom, especiaIIy correspondence chess. Every singIe opponents move computer move there. Gave it up there in 2020.

Too much cheaters on chessdotcom, especiaIIy correspondence chess. Every singIe opponents move computer move there. Gave it up there in 2020.
#4

I use to play on chesscom when I was a kid, then took a long hiatus from chess entirely. During this hiatus, I (unrelatedly) came to the realization that non-free software (including non-free JavaScript, as can be found on chesscom) is evil and should not be allowed anywhere near one's computer, because with each piece of non-free software you run, you are giving up a bit of ownership of your computer to someone else. Thus, when I came back from my hiatus, I of course did not return to chesscom. Instead, I played on FICS. I still play there, but when I'm just looking for a random game, I play on Lichess now because it has much more players (and is completely free/libre!).

I use to play on chesscom when I was a kid, then took a long hiatus from chess entirely. During this hiatus, I (unrelatedly) came to the realization that non-free software (including non-free JavaScript, as can be found on chesscom) is evil and should not be allowed anywhere near one's computer, because with each piece of non-free software you run, you are giving up a bit of ownership of your computer to someone else. Thus, when I came back from my hiatus, I of course did not return to chesscom. Instead, I played on FICS. I still play there, but when I'm just looking for a random game, I play on Lichess now because it has much more players (and is completely free/libre!).
#6

I started on chessdotcom playing 10+0 back when that was considered blitz on the site and some 15+10. I discovered lichess because of some USCF rated tournament that was being hosted online because of the COVID lockdowns. Now I almost exclusively use lichess because I like the interface better and my computer started lagging really badly any time I had chessdotcom opened for too long (probably because of the ads? not sure why)

I started on chessdotcom playing 10+0 back when that was considered blitz on the site and some 15+10. I discovered lichess because of some USCF rated tournament that was being hosted online because of the COVID lockdowns. Now I almost exclusively use lichess because I like the interface better and my computer started lagging really badly any time I had chessdotcom opened for too long (probably because of the ads? not sure why)
#7

@Watermelon343 said in #6:

I started on chessdotcom playing 10+0 back when that was considered blitz on the site and some 15+10. I discovered lichess because of some USCF rated tournament that was being hosted online because of the COVID lockdowns. Now I almost exclusively use lichess because I like the interface better and my computer started lagging really badly any time I had chessdotcom opened for too long (probably because of the ads? not sure why)

hii watermelon :D

@Watermelon343 said in #6: > I started on chessdotcom playing 10+0 back when that was considered blitz on the site and some 15+10. I discovered lichess because of some USCF rated tournament that was being hosted online because of the COVID lockdowns. Now I almost exclusively use lichess because I like the interface better and my computer started lagging really badly any time I had chessdotcom opened for too long (probably because of the ads? not sure why) hii watermelon :D
#9

My experience echoes several responses above, and several aspects of those responses.

I also left chessdotcom in 2020, in my case after a long history of membership of various other sites since the mid 1990s. Something about the way that chessdotcom was responding to, and exploiting, the sudden huge influx of new online players at the start of the pandemic was turning my stomach. The whole approach just reeked of commercialism to me. I closed my account very suddenly abandoning a lot of ongoing correspondence games there, and I'm not proud of that action of mine. I was in a dark place, but I'm not excusing my behaviour.

I didn't join Lichess until March 2023. Got sidetracked by a casual, free membership of chess24 which offered quick anonymous games and was all fine until one day, when I tried to log in there, it redirected me to ... chessdotcom! Surprise, surprise, the big commercial gun had bought it up.

So mine was quite a convoluted route to ending up here on Lichess, a non-commercial, non-profit quality site created and run by enthusiasts for the sake of online chess. I wish I'd made it here sooner than I did.

My experience echoes several responses above, and several aspects of those responses. I also left chessdotcom in 2020, in my case after a long history of membership of various other sites since the mid 1990s. Something about the way that chessdotcom was responding to, and exploiting, the sudden huge influx of new online players at the start of the pandemic was turning my stomach. The whole approach just reeked of commercialism to me. I closed my account very suddenly abandoning a lot of ongoing correspondence games there, and I'm not proud of that action of mine. I was in a dark place, but I'm not excusing my behaviour. I didn't join Lichess until March 2023. Got sidetracked by a casual, free membership of chess24 which offered quick anonymous games and was all fine until one day, when I tried to log in there, it redirected me to ... chessdotcom! Surprise, surprise, the big commercial gun had bought it up. So mine was quite a convoluted route to ending up here on Lichess, a non-commercial, non-profit quality site created and run by enthusiasts for the sake of online chess. I wish I'd made it here sooner than I did.
#10

I literally cannot play on chesscom on my computer because its so laggy whereas here everything is smooth .

I literally cannot play on chesscom on my computer because its so laggy whereas here everything is smooth .

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