Chess is a strategic game that requires patience, planning, and knowledge. When it comes to finding chess betting sites, you’ll find that we have our own tried and tested strategies that help to highlight the best operators around.
Although considered a niche betting market, some of the most prestigious chess tournaments can bring in fantastic betting opportunities. It is always interesting to see how these top matches, tournaments, and competitions unfold, and what better way to add to the experience than by placing a sensible bet. Hopefully, you’ll soon be in a position to
make your move.
New customers: Deposit £10+ within 7 days and place a sports bet. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports Bet). Valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
Available to verified customers residing in the UK. Opt-in is required. Place your first bet of £10 at minimum odds of 1/1 on any sports market within 7 days of registering. Get £30 in Free Bets (1x £10 Horse Racing Free Bet + 1x £10 Football Acca Free Bet + £10 Basketball Acca Free Bet) T&Cs apply. 18+ Please gamble responsibly.
18+ Offer available to new customers only who sign up with Promo Code BET40GET20. Place a bet of £40 (or more) at EVS (2.0) or greater and Get 2 x £10 Free Bets. 1 x £10 Free Bet paid automatically & following £10 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0). Free Bets expire after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
18+ New Customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Get £10 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days and must be used on acca with min 5 selections and min total odds of 2.0. Free stake not returned with winnings. Use code ACCA10 on signup. Bangers N'Cash rewards are a separate promotional scheme and must be opted into during the weekly promotional period via the BetWright Rewards Section T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org.
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18+. New customers only. Opt in required. Minimum bet of £20 on any selections. Min odds of evens (2.00). Pre-game only. Free bet awarded upon settlement. Free bet split into 4 x £5. Free bet on accumulators only. Free bet expiry 24 hours. Other free bet terms apply. Maximum pay-outs apply. GamCare.org.uk | UK only. Full T&Cs apply. #ad
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18+ | New players only. Opt-in. Min deposit is £20. Offer: Place a £20 sports cash bet at minimum odds of 3/4 (1.75) or higher and receive a £20 Free Bet. Free bet credited upon settlement of all qualifying bets. Free Bet can be redeemed on selected sports & markets and used on single or accumulator bets (min. 3 selections). Free Bet must be used at minimum odds of 4/5 (1.80). Free Bet stake is not returned with winnings. Winnings are credited as withdrawable cash. Maximum odds of 10.00 may apply. Free Bet must be used within 7 days of being credited. Affordability checks may apply. Full terms apply. | BeGambleAware.org.
18+ | New UK customers only. Place a £20+ bet with minimum 3 legs, min 2/1 and receive a £10 Free Bet. The Free Bet will be credited once your qualifying bet settles. Free Bet expires 7 days after being awarded. BeGambleAware.org | T&Cs & Maximum Payouts apply.
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New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of £50, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Free bets and Bonuses are valid for 7 days. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply.
18+ New UK Customers Only. Bet £10+ on any sportsbook markets at odds of evens (2.00) or greater. No cash out. Get 50% back of your first day’s losses (from first bet settlement until 23:59) as a Free Bet up to £25, valid for 7 days. Min. 3 bets on different events required, with 2 bets being at least 50% of your largest stake. Place at least 1 bet of £10+ at odds 2.00+ to receive a £5 Free Bet even if your account is up or losses are under £5. T&Cs Apply. GambleAware.org
Open Account Offer Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. The bonus code can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
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Play responsibly | 1st deposit only | Min deposit €10 | Qualifying bet: min €10, on any acca or bet builder (2+ selections) with min odds 6/4 (2/5) on selected sports | €10 free bet: 2+ leg acca or bet builder (2+ selections), min odds 6/4.
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18+ | New UK players only | Min deposit req. £10 | Certain deposit methods excluded | Place 1 sport bet (3+ selections) | Excl Horse Racing | Min stake £10 | Max stake £20 | Min Odds 2/1 (3.0) | Max FreeBet £20 for football only | FreeBet valid for 7 days | FreeBet stake not returned |
T&Cs apply.
Although considered a novelty betting market, the
best UK bookmakers
will look to offer punters the chance to bet on the latest chess matches and tournaments.
The objective of the game itself is to move your pieces (king, queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns) around the 64-square board in the hopes of capturing the opponent's king (checkmate). Every decision leads up to this moment, which is exactly why watching, playing, and betting on chess can be so exciting.
You will rarely find a bonus for chess directly; however, a general sports betting promotion may be eligible for use across specific chess markets. At the highest level, chess games and tournaments are incredibly close to call, so it is important to do your research before finalizing your selections.
New customers: Deposit £10+ within 7 days and place a sports bet. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports Bet). Valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
Available to verified customers residing in the UK. Opt-in is required. Place your first bet of £10 at minimum odds of 1/1 on any sports market within 7 days of registering. Get £30 in Free Bets (1x £10 Horse Racing Free Bet + 1x £10 Football Acca Free Bet + £10 Basketball Acca Free Bet) T&Cs apply. 18+ Please gamble responsibly.
What markets are available to bet on chess?
Now you understand what is meant by the term
chess betting, let us take a closer look at the available markets you can expect to find at the very best chess betting sites.
Match winners
As you would expect, all chess betting sites allow you to bet on the outright winner of a match. This straightforward bet can often be called a 1X2, but you may also find that your chosen site allows you to bet on the winner of two or three rounds.
Will Armageddon be played?
This simple bet allows you to wager on whether
Armageddon
will be played or not. When playing chess, Armageddon chess follows the same rules as any regular singular or tournament game of chess except for two specific rules that directly affect
Black. Firstly, Black has draw odds, meaning that if the game ends in a draw, Black will win. Due to this rule, Black will start with less time on the clock.
Tournament winners
Alongside the chance to bet on single betting outcomes, you’ll be free to bet on outright tournament winners. As the prospect of predicting the outcome is far more difficult than a simple 1X2, you’ll find that the chess betting odds are often more favourable. The three main chess competitions include the
Chess World Championship, the
Chess Tour, and
Chess Olympiad. Before making your pick, we suggest reviewing all potential competitors, current form, and possible match-ups.
📅 The first recognised World Chess Championship was in 1886
♟️ Magnus Carlsen declined to defend his title in 2023 after a decade as undisputed champion
Did you know _____ about chess?
Playing chess regularly has been proven to improve cognitive health and memory function.
In Armenia, chess is taken incredibly seriously. So much so, in fact, that it is considered a part of the school curriculum.
“Check mate” comes from the Persian phrase “Sha Mat”, meaning “the King is dead”.
DECIDING A NEW WORLD CHAMPION: Ding vs. Nepomniachtchi - Tiebreaks | FIDE World Championship 2023
New customers: Deposit £10+ within 7 days and place a sports bet. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports Bet). Valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
Available to verified customers residing in the UK. Opt-in is required. Place your first bet of £10 at minimum odds of 1/1 on any sports market within 7 days of registering. Get £30 in Free Bets (1x £10 Horse Racing Free Bet + 1x £10 Football Acca Free Bet + £10 Basketball Acca Free Bet) T&Cs apply. 18+ Please gamble responsibly.
18+ Offer available to new customers only who sign up with Promo Code BET40GET20. Place a bet of £40 (or more) at EVS (2.0) or greater and Get 2 x £10 Free Bets. 1 x £10 Free Bet paid automatically & following £10 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0). Free Bets expire after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
18+ New Customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Get £10 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days and must be used on acca with min 5 selections and min total odds of 2.0. Free stake not returned with winnings. Use code ACCA10 on signup. Bangers N'Cash rewards are a separate promotional scheme and must be opted into during the weekly promotional period via the BetWright Rewards Section T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org.
Things to consider when online chess betting
While you may not find the most extensive range of markets or coverage of chess, the best chess betting sites will ensure that you can still place a bet on the most prestigious competitions and head-to-heads. In this next section, we provide three top tips to consider before setting your stakes.
📈
Check out the best chess betting odds
When it comes to giving your chess betting the best possible head start, you’ll want to consider reviewing the
best UK bookmaker odds. As the odds provide the foundation to your bets, you’ll want to ensure you’ve found yourself a chess betting site that offers top odds before making your deposit.
📖
Review previous form and tournament format
Although chess betting can be considered a bit of a
novelty betting
market, you still need to do your research. Before risking your deposit, we suggest taking time to review the form of each participant when placing your in-play or singular bets. Of course, the tournament format and potential match-ups further down the line are worth reviewing when betting on the tournament winners, too.
❌
Consider betting on
Armageddon
when two players are too close to call
Chess is a game of strategy, that’s a fact. Due to that, the very best players can often be too closely ranked/skilled to call an outright winner. If this runs true and the game is tied, participants will look to bid on time for a colour. Generally, they will bid for Black in the hopes of securing draw odds for the final match – this way an outright winner is guaranteed. Perhaps this should have been considered back in 1989, when a four-day and 269-move match between Ivan Nikolic of Yugoslavia and Goran Arsovic of Serbia took place.
Join the best chess betting sites today
Betting on chess adds another layer to the overall experience, allowing you to put your own knowledge to the test and predict the end result. Every move can quickly alter the outcome of a match, tournament, or competition, so you’ll want to make sure you find a site that offers great in-play odds, too.
Over at betting.co.uk, we’ve been busy reviewing the best chess betting sites around. Although fewer in number, we’ve found some fantastic spots to help you get the best odds and bonuses to help boost your experience betting on outright winners, Armageddon, and
Chess World Championship
outrights.
Chess Betting Pros and Cons
Regular tournaments to choose from
A selection of outright and individual match markets
Requirements (WR): 4x Bonus + 10x Deposit, Min. Deposit: 10
Go to BetMGM UK
Visit Provider
New customers: Deposit £10+ within 7 days and place a sports bet. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports Bet). Valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
Available to verified customers residing in the UK. Opt-in is required. Place your first bet of £10 at minimum odds of 1/1 on any sports market within 7 days of registering. Get £30 in Free Bets (1x £10 Horse Racing Free Bet + 1x £10 Football Acca Free Bet + £10 Basketball Acca Free Bet) T&Cs apply. 18+ Please gamble responsibly.
18+ Offer available to new customers only who sign up with Promo Code BET40GET20. Place a bet of £40 (or more) at EVS (2.0) or greater and Get 2 x £10 Free Bets. 1 x £10 Free Bet paid automatically & following £10 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0). Free Bets expire after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
18+ New Customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Get £10 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days and must be used on acca with min 5 selections and min total odds of 2.0. Free stake not returned with winnings. Use code ACCA10 on signup. Bangers N'Cash rewards are a separate promotional scheme and must be opted into during the weekly promotional period via the BetWright Rewards Section T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org.
Chess Betting FAQ
📱 How do I bet on chess in the UK?
Over at betting.co.uk, we’ve been busy creating reviews on the best chess betting sites today. You can learn more about chess betting in this guide before letting us help you find your perfect destination.
🌟 Can I use a bonus when betting on chess?
While it is unlikely to find a chess betting bonus, the prospect of using a bonus isn’t completely out of the question. Find out more in this latest chess betting guide.
❓ Is chess betting popular?
The best chess betting sites will provide fair coverage of the biggest tournaments and head-to-heads. While it may not draw in the same crowds as the FA Cup final, you’ll still find opportunities available.
New customers: Deposit £10+ within 7 days and place a sports bet. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports Bet). Valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
Available to verified customers residing in the UK. Opt-in is required. Place your first bet of £10 at minimum odds of 1/1 on any sports market within 7 days of registering. Get £30 in Free Bets (1x £10 Horse Racing Free Bet + 1x £10 Football Acca Free Bet + £10 Basketball Acca Free Bet) T&Cs apply. 18+ Please gamble responsibly.
18+ Offer available to new customers only who sign up with Promo Code BET40GET20. Place a bet of £40 (or more) at EVS (2.0) or greater and Get 2 x £10 Free Bets. 1 x £10 Free Bet paid automatically & following £10 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0). Free Bets expire after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
18+ New Customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Get £10 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days and must be used on acca with min 5 selections and min total odds of 2.0. Free stake not returned with winnings. Use code ACCA10 on signup. Bangers N'Cash rewards are a separate promotional scheme and must be opted into during the weekly promotional period via the BetWright Rewards Section T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org.
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New customers: Deposit £10+ within 7 days and place a sports bet. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports Bet). Valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply.
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