Chess betting online is available on various popular sportsbooks. During popular tournaments, chess enthusiasts and gamblers can choose to bet on this sport. Bets are placed both before a game and during a game, which is known as live bets. Both are opportunities to make money through wagers. With that said, this article discusses various aspects of betting online on chess, including betting tips, betting markets, and more.
Understanding Chess
It’s in your best interest to understand some basic features of the game so that you can make informed decisions when betting on it. Chess is a board game between two players, with each player starting with 16 pieces. The pieces (also known as materials or chessmen) include the following.
- 1 king
- 1 queen
- 2 knights
- 2 rooks
- 2 bishops
- 8 pawns
One set of pieces is black, and the other is white, and the game is played on a checkered board—however, the color of the checks doesn’t affect the movement of the pieces. These pieces are meant to capture the opponent’s chessmen to the point at which the king does not have any defense left. That is when the player attacking the king wins, which is considered “checkmate.” However, if the king is being attacked, but there is some defense possible, then the attacking player says, “check.”
Pieces’ Movement and Capturing abilities
Each piece has specific movement and capturing abilities, which are listed below.
- Pawns:
- Movement: can only move one square directly forward OR two squares directly forward on the first turn.
- Capturing: can capture a piece diagonally across it (think of it as jumping over the piece to the next empty diagonal square.
- Knights
- Movement: can move in an ‘L’ shape, i.e., two squares vertically or horizontally and one then square horizontally or vertically, respectively.
- Capturing: can capture a piece that is on the square on which it lands (pieces on the other squares it travels on are safe).
- Rooks
- Movement: can move only in a straight line, either horizontally or vertically (with no limit to the number of squares it can travel).
- Capturing: can capture a piece that is on the square on which it lands, replacing the opponent’s existing piece.
- Bishops
- Movement: can move only diagonally (with no limit to the number of squares it can travel).
- Capturing: can capture a piece that is on the square on which it lands, replacing the opponent’s existing piece.
- Queen
- Movement: can move in any direction (with no limit to the number of squares it can travel), making it the most instrumental piece in the game.
- Capturing: can capture a piece that is on the square on which it lands, replacing the opponent’s existing piece.
- King
- Movement: can only move one square in any direction.
- Capturing: can capture a piece that is on the square on which it lands, replacing the opponent’s existing piece.
Top Chess Events
There are several popular chess tournaments, some of which include international players representing their countries. Here are some examples of the top chess events.
- Chess World Cup
- The Chess Olympiad (team)
- Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting
- London Chess Classic
Best Chess Players
Some of the best chess players at the time this article was written and published include the following.
- Magnus Carlsen from Norway
- Ding Liren from China
- Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia
Chess can have different team configurations based on the event. However, each team member plays against another team’s member in an individual match.
Betting Online on Chess
Below are various factors about betting online on chess. We have included details on betting odds, betting tips, and markets here.
What Are Chess Betting Odds?
Chess betting odds are a measurement of how much money you can win (based on your stake) for a specific player. The online sportsbooks determine the odds, and bettors then use that to determine which player they should bet on.
Consider this example, Player X and Player Y compete in a match in which Player X is the favorite. To encourage people to place bets on Player Y, the sportsbook may set the odds in a way in which the returns are better when you bet on the underdog. This process evens the odds and makes betting more fun and competitive. Thus, if the moneyline betting odds format is used, Player X may have odds at -250 and +250 for Player Y. In that case, you must place $250 to win $100 when betting on Player X and win $250 when betting $100 on Player Y.
Chess Betting Tips
We discuss some crucial chess betting tips below to help you get started on betting on this game on the right foot.
Understand the Sport As Well As You Can
Understanding chess well before placing wagers is more crucial than with other sports betting. The reason is that the sport has a niche audience, many of whom are well-versed in the game and are greatly interested in it. Therefore, when betting on this sport, you’re most likely up against bettors who are experienced with the game and betting on it. So, you’ll need to ensure that you’re also making bets backed up by some research.
Of course, this point is not meant to discourage you from betting on this game. Instead, it serves to show you the importance of researching the game beforehand, as you want to be able to know which player is likely to win a game before you place a bet.
Pick Simple Betting Markets and Start with Low Stakes
Another point that is related to the one above is that you should start with simple bets. So, pick betting markets with simple outcomes that are relatively easy to predict. You can also look at an expert prediction to help learn about which player is likely to win. Also, it can help to start by placing relatively small wagers, reducing the risk of losing too much money at once. You can increase your stakes as you become more experienced with betting online on chess.
Know Your Betting Markets
Online sportsbooks will have different betting markets, which are categories of bets that you can place. Know some popular markets so that you know what to expect when you start betting.
Outright Winner of a Match
This bet category is about who the winner of the match will be, and it’s the simplest type of bet. This type of bet is also known as a straight bet, and online betting websites will have odds for each player. As discussed above, the payouts for underdogs will be better.
Outright Winner of a Tournament
This category is about which player will win an entire tournament. This bet type requires considerable research and holds a lot of risk because they are many players competing. That said, the returns may be worth the risk, depending on which website you use for your bets.
Over/Under Bets
If you have bet on sports before, over/under bets must be a familiar concept. In the case of chess, it’s used on the number of moves a player will make to win a match. Thus, the sportsbook will determine a specific number of moves that one or both players combined must make to end the match. Bettors can then place bets on whether the total number of moves will be over or under that number.
Chess Live Betting
Chess live betting is also an exciting option for bettors who want something more engaging than typical bets. Live bets are those that are made during the course of a game, as opposed to bets made before. Bettors cannot place wagers the moment the game ends. Therefore, live bets are more engaging because they require bettors to watch the game and see how it’s proceeding to determine how to place their bets.
You can benefit from live chess betting if you have considerable knowledge of the sport and the players. For example, if you notice that player A has lost their queen relatively early, you may want to wager on them losing the match. However, if they are known to still win many matches despite losing their queen, then you may not be quick to bet on them losing.
Answers to Questions You May Have about Betting on Chess
Here are some quick answers to questions about chess and betting on it that you want to know more about.
Is chess a sport?
Yes, it is a sport because it includes a specific set of rules and etiquette that players must follow. Moreover, the International Olympic Committee considers it a sport because the use of your mind to make calculated moves is a form of physical exertion.
Is chess played in the Olympic games?
Despite being considered a sport, chess is not still played in any of the Olympic games.
Should I bet on chess?
Betting on chess is not nearly as commonplace as other forms of sports betting, such as football, tennis, horse racing, etc. However, a niche audience bets on this sport, making it possible for interested bettors to get some returns from gambling on chess.
What are the best chess betting sites?
Some of the best chess betting sites are listed below. We picked these websites because they offer promotions, are reliable, have good odds, have multiple betting markets, and are known for good customer service.
- Marathonbet (has a mobile chess betting app)
- Bet365 (has an app, but it is not the best option for placing bets)
- BetOnline (has a mobile chess betting app)
What chess event should I bet on?
It’s a safe option to pick the most popular events when betting on this sport. The Word Cup is an event that has been occurring every 2 years since 2005. Also, the most popular team-based option is the Olympic-style international competition known as the Chess Olympiad. Betting on popular events is a good idea because more people will be betting on them, which may improve the winnings.
Is playing chess considered gambling?
According to some schools of thought, it can encourage gambling; for example, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia has explained so. That said, it is just like any other sport unless you are placing wagers.
What is chess hustling?
It’s a practice in which expert players play chess outdoors (primarily in NYC) for an amount of money. Thus, they initially pretend to play poorly, encouraging their opponent to increase their wagers. Then, they play to the best of their ability and win against their opponents, taking their stake.
Final Words
Chess betting online may not be for everyone, but it’s great for this game’s enthusiasts who also enjoy gambling. Knowing more about this sport is definitely advantageous when betting because the community is very small and filled with other experts.