Play the computer
Three levels, from friendly to ruthless. It answers in a heartbeat.
Open beta · Season 01
Chess that glows in the dark.
Play bullet, blitz and rapid against players around the world on boards built for late nights. Solve puzzles, climb nightly arenas and review every game the moment it ends.
- Free forever
- No ads, ever
- Runs in any browser
Live replay
The Immortal Game · London, 1851
Lionel Kieseritzky
Black
Adolf Anderssen
White · to move
Starting position
King's Gambit Accepted
Why Neon Gambit
Everything you need to play your best. Nothing that gets in the way.
Built by players who live for the late-night blitz session: fast pairing, honest ratings and review tools that actually make you better.
Matchmaking in seconds
Get paired with a player near your rating in any time control, at any hour of the night.
Puzzle Rush
Race the clock through tactics that get sharper with every solve. Three misses and the run is over.
Instant game review
Every game is analyzed the moment it ends. Your best moves, blunders and missed wins, lit up move by move.
Nightly arenas
Tournaments start every evening. Join late, play as many games as you like and climb the live leaderboard.
Play a friend
Send a link, pick a clock and you're playing. Your friend doesn't even need an account.
Fair play, always
Every rated game is screened for engine help, so the rating you earn is one you deserve.
Time controls
Pick your pace.
From one-minute bullet to classical games you can sink an evening into. Every clock is rated separately, so your blitz form never drags down your rapid.
Bullet
1+0
Minutes + seconds per move
One minute on the clock and no time to doubt yourself. Pure instinct.
About 2 minutes a game
Blitz
3+2
Minutes + seconds per move
Three minutes plus two seconds a move. The sweet spot between fast and sharp.
About 8 minutes a game
Rapid
10+0
Minutes + seconds per move
Ten minutes to plan, calculate and punish a single slip.
About 20 minutes a game
Classical
30+20
Minutes + seconds per move
The long game. Deep calculation, with time to think every move through.
An hour or more
Featured puzzle
Find Morphy's finish.
Paris, 1858. Paul Morphy played this game from a box at the opera, in the middle of a performance. White to move and mate in two.
Mate in 2White to move
White: Paul MorphyBlack: The Duke and the Count
- Mate in 2
- White to move
- The Opera Game
Your move. Tap a white piece to see where it can go, then tap a glowing square.
16. ?
Board themes
Pick your glow.
Four hand-tuned neon sets, each built to keep checks, captures and last moves readable at a glance. Choose one here and it lights up every board on this page.
Nightly arenas
Every night is tournament night.
Arenas run on a fixed weekly schedule. Join any time while the clock is running, play as many games as you can and watch the live leaderboard reshuffle after every result.
Mon
20:00
UTC
Bullet Blackout
An hour of one-minute chaos to kick off the week.
1+060 min
Wed
20:00
UTC
Blitz Afterglow
Midweek blitz where win streaks score double.
3+290 min
Fri
21:00
UTC
Neon Nights Open
FlagshipThe flagship arena. The top three earn this season's glowing badge.
5+02 hours
Sun
18:00
UTC
Rapid Reload
Slower games to close out the weekend with a clear head.
10+02 hours
From the beta
Built for night owls. Loved by them too.
A few words from players who have been testing Neon Gambit since the first closed games.
I came for the puzzles and stayed for the arenas. Friday nights haven't been the same since.
Maya R.@midnightrook · Blitz 1984 The dark boards aren't a gimmick. I play after the kids are asleep and my eyes actually thank me.
Tomás V.@hexknight · Rapid 2210 Game review that tells me why a move was bad, not just that it was. My blitz is up 150 points since spring.
Priya S.@lumen_pawn · Blitz 1720
Pricing
Free to play. Forever.
Every game, every arena and the daily puzzle cost nothing. Neon+ is there when you want to train harder.
Free
$0forever
Everything you need to play every single night.
- Unlimited games in every time control
- Daily puzzle plus three Puzzle Rush runs a day
- Entry to every nightly arena
- Three instant game reviews a day
- All four neon board themes
Neon+
Free during the beta$4per month
For players chasing their next rating milestone.
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited instant game reviews
- Unlimited Puzzle Rush
- Opening explorer for your own repertoire
- A glowing supporter badge next to your name
- New board themes before anyone else
FAQ
Questions before your first move?
The short answers to what players ask us most. Anything else, ask us once you're in.
Is Neon Gambit really free?
Yes. Playing, the daily puzzle and every nightly arena are free forever, with no ads. Neon+ is an optional membership for unlimited game reviews and Puzzle Rush.
Do I need an account to play?
No. Pick a level and take on the computer, or pass and play with a friend on one screen, right now in your browser. Nothing to sign up for, nothing to install.
Does it work on my phone?
It does. Neon Gambit runs in any modern browser on phone, tablet and desktop, with nothing to download or install.
How is my rating calculated?
You start with a provisional rating in each time control that settles after your first 20 games, so you're facing fair opponents within an evening.
How do you keep games fair?
Every rated game is screened for engine assistance. Accounts caught cheating are closed and their opponents get their rating points back.
Aren't neon boards hard on the eyes?
The opposite. Every theme keeps the board dark and only the pieces bright, which is far easier on tired eyes than a white screen at midnight.
Your move.
Make it glow.
Pick a level, choose your color and start playing in seconds. No downloads, no account, no waiting room.
Pass and play
Two players, one screen. The board turns after every move so each of you plays from your own side.