Guide to Chess Betting: Best Sites, Odds, and Information
Chess has been around for centuries and is one of the most popular games in the world. Chess betting is a great way to add enjoyment to the game as you follow the top players battling it out. In our guide, we break down the best chess bookmakers so you can get in on the action. Below you will find our favourite list of online bookmakers for chess betting.
Chess Betting Site | Bonus | Highlights | Rating | Bonus Link | T&C |
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🥇 bwin | £20 Back Up Bet | 8+ , 92.77% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 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 1/2 (1.5) for each selection | Max FreeBet £20 for football only | FreeBet valid for 7 days | FreeBet stake not returned | |
🥈 Unibet | £40 Money Back on First Bet | 3+ , 92.77% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first sports bet loses. Wagering requirements: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Unless forfeited the sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in. Visit Unibet.co.uk for full T&C's. | |
🥉 bet365 | Up to £50 In Free Bets | 8+ , 92.56% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! Open Account Offer. New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration Required | |
⭐ Betfred | £100 Deposit Bonus | 3+ , 92.34% | Visit Site! | Full T&Cs Apply! New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. |
As you can see, there are a wide variety of online chess bookies for you to sink your teeth into. Each of them has its own particular strengths and advantages. So, compare betting odds and choose the site that best fits your chess gambling needs.
Before you place your chess bet, have a look at below at our summary of top chess betting sites by category and see what each of them has to offer. Each bookie has something different going for it and we have identified which operator is strong in each area.
Whether you are a grandmaster or new to the game, our pick of online chess betting sites will have you covered. And remember, these aren’t the only bookmakers offering chess odds, so head over to our list of the best UK betting sites to read all our reviews.
Discover the bookies with the best payouts
Types of bets available
The top offers to rely on
For betting on Chess
The rules of chess
Frequently asked questions
As the leading grandmasters meet around the world and compete, you can wager on who you think will come out on top. We’ll help you optimise your online chess betting and get the best value from your wagers. No matter the level you play at yourself, it can be a fun way to get more from the game .
The Latest Chess Odds
Here are the latest odds for the FIDE World Chess Championship. The match takes place over fourteen games and is then decided, if necessary, via tiebreak. The reigning champion usually begins as a favourite in these title matches, and it is up to the challenger to raise their game to take the crown.
Competitor | Odds | Recommended Betting Site | Secure Link |
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Ian Nepomniachtchi | 5/4* | bwin | Visit site! |
Ding Liren | 23/10* | bet365 | Visit site! |
Betting on the favourite will give you the greatest chance of winning but of course the payout will be significantly less. The odds on all online chess betting sites should be broadly similar. That said, you may be able to get some extra value if you shop around – so don’t limit yourself to just one betting account.
Possible Bets
There aren’t many varieties of chess betting that you can do, which makes it similar to weather betting as they both lack a lot of proposition markets – nothing in comparison to online football betting.
Some of our top five chess bookies may offer added markets during the biggest events, but you will likely have just a few options when you have a chess bet online.
Betting Outright on Chess
Gambling on the outright winner of a match or tournament is the most common way to gamble on chess. Bookies will offer a two-way market for most chess matches, as a tiebreaker is usually used in the event of a draw. Tournaments generally takes place in a round robin format, with the alternative being the Swiss system which is suited for larger field events.
Betting on the Final Score
The World Championship and other leading events always take place over a series of games. For the biggest tournaments, you can bet on the final score of the match. Remember though, chess games can end in a draw, awarding half a point per player. So bear that in mind when you make your score selections.
Betting on Magnus Carlsen Against the Field
Norway’s Magnus Carlsen is universally viewed as the most complete chess player in the world and very difficult to beat. Some bookies give you a simple and straightforward choice – back Magnus or bet against him. This bet enables you to support every other player in the tournament to win instead of Carlsen.
Chess Betting Bonuses
It is unlikely that any bookmaker will offer a specific online chess betting bonus. However, check back during the big events as there may be enhanced odds or specials available. Our featured new customer bonus below is easy to claim and will give a great boost.
Getting the best value for your bets is important for any punter. Using a bonus will ensure you make the most of your online chess bets. Have a peek at our list of top online bookmaker bonuses to find one which fits your needs.
Chess Betting Tips
Before you chess bet online, take a glance at our tips below to make sure you have considered all the angles . There are many sites where you can gather information and consult opinions on the latest chess events. Ensure you are well informed when you are online chess gambling.
- Make sure to bet using one of our best chess betting sites.
- Examine the form. Who is playing well and who is on a bad run?
- Take note of the format of the event and who that will favour.
- Follow the matches live to analyse moves and positions.
- Get the opinions of chess experts to see who they are tipping.
- Will you back Magnus Carlsen or bet against him?
As you can see, there are many factors to consider when gambling on chess. Perhaps surprisingly, you can be a successful chess bettor even if you aren’t an expert at the game. When you do bet on chess, general betting knowledge and smarts are just as important as being a skilled player yourself.
The Rules and History of Chess
The game of chess is around 1,500 years old and can be traced back to India and Persia. The modern era of chess began in the 15th Century, as the rules of the game began to change and develop into what we know today. Chess clocks were first used in 1866 and the first World Championships took place in 1886.
Chess is played on an eight-by-eight board. To win, you must prevent your opponent’s king from moving. This is known as checkmate. Each piece has a different method of traversing the board, which always begins in the same setup – with white moving first. Chess can be played by people of any age and games can last for minutes or days.
Legends of Chess
The World Chess Championship usually takes place every two years and is a one on one battle. Contenders fight their way through the gruelling Candidates Tournament for the chance to face off against the champion. We profile some of the greatest chess players of all time in our table below.
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Garry Kasparov
Largely regarded as the greatest to ever play the game, Kasparov became the youngest ever World Chess Champion in 1985 at aged 22. The Russian was ranked as world number one for a record 255 months, dominating chess for over a decade and reaching a peak Elo rating of 2851.
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Anatoly Karpov
Karpov was World Chess Champion from 1975 to 1985, losing the title to his great rival Kasparov. With over 160 first-place tournament finishes, Karpov is one of the most successful players of all time. He spent 102 months as world number one.
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Magnus Carlsen
A grandmaster at the age of just 13, Carlsen became World Champion in 2013 and has held the title ever since. Seen as having no weaknesses, the Norwegian’s peak Elo rating of 2882 is the highest of all-time and he holds the longest ever unbeaten run in classical chess.
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Jose Raul Capablanca
The undisputed king of blitz chess, the Cuban was World Chess Champion from 1921 to 1927. In 1922 Capablanca played against 103 opponents simultaneously, winning 102 of the games. Capablanca’s style of play was a considerable influence on future champions Karpov and Fischer.
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Mikhail Tal
Viewed by many as the most creative and attacking player ever, Tal turned chess into an art form. The Magician from Riga was the World Champion for just one year in the 1960s, but his flamboyant style makes him highly regarded to this day by chess fans and historians.
Other Famous Characters from the World of Chess
Chess is a game played by millions worldwide but is rarely frontpage news. Here are a few of the most famous chess events, where chess has been pushed into mainstream public view – at least for a short period.
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Bobby Fischer
After becoming a grandmaster at the age of 15, the American chess maverick won the World Chess Championship in 1972. The Cold War clash in Reykjavik against Russia’s Boris Spassky attracted global interest and notoriety. Thereafter Fischer refused to defend his title and became a polarising figure, spending much of the rest of his life living as a recluse.
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Deep Blue
Deep Blue was the first computer to win a chess match against the reigning World Champion under standard tournament rules. The IBM-developed machine beat Garry Kasparov twice, in 1996 and 97. Kasparov alleged foul play and human intervention, but he was probably just mad at being beaten by new technology.
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Beth Harmon
Yes, we know she not a real person, but this fictional chess prodigy helped to spark a recent chess boom. In 2020, Netflix Series The Queen’s Gambit became essential lockdown viewing around the world. The show has been credited with causing a massive increase in sales of chess sets and drawing a host of new fans and players to the game.
Final Thoughts
If you are a fan of chess, then you’ll want to chess bet online. From betting on individual tournaments to the World Championship itself, betting on chess is a great way of enhancing your entertainment as you follow the best players in the world.
Just one look at our novelty betting section shows that betting isn’t only always about gambling on sport. There are a wide variety of TV shows, games, events and awards that you can gamble on. So pick your favourite and get involved!
If you’re looking for some other betting options, check out what’s being offered at all UK betting sites. We put all the important information about UK bookies on a single page. Simply click on a link to go directly to a site and claim your bonus.
FAQ
We trust that you found our chess betting guide to be informative. Below are some of the frequently asked questions related to gambling on chess. These answers respond to the most common questions about online chess betting and will give you clarity on regular queries from our users that you might share.
🥇 What are the best chess betting sites?
Chess isn’t offered by every bookmaker, but we have done the research to present to you our top online chess bookmakers. We recommend you visit those first as they are likely to offer the largest range of markets for gambling on chess.
🔍 Can you bet on chess?
Chess betting is widely available and you can bet on all of the biggest chess events. Check out some of the most common types of chess betting in our dedicated section above.
🤔 What are the latest chess odds?
Take a look at our chess odds section to see which bookmakers are offering most competitive odds. And remember, odds can fluctuate, so keep track of market movements before you bet.
🏆 Are there any bonuses for betting on chess?
All of our five recommended chess betting sites offer top quality sign up bonuses and promotions. You could also find selected chess specials and offers with other bookie that cover the game