LiChess Tutorial

Note: This tutorial assumes you are using a screen reader such as JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver, and that you are using a computer. Our thanks to the author: José María Saponara for writing the original tutorial.

Introduction

This tutorial guides players who are blind through using LiChess, a free online chess platform. While not all LiChess features are accessible, this guide covers playing games, joining teams, analyzing games, and basic settings.

Below is a short list of screen reader commands used throughout the tutorial. Refer to this list when you need to know how to perform them.

Go to the top of the page: Control+Home.
Put JAWS into and out of Browse mode, Insert+Z.
Put NVDA into and out of Browse mode: NVDA+Space.

Mac

Turn QuickNav keys on and off: VO+Q.
Go to the top of the page: VO-Home.

All Screen Readers

These commands work on Mac with QuickNav keys on and on PC in Browse mode.

Navigate by heading: H and Shift+H.
Navigate by heading number: 1-6 and Shift+1-6.
Find buttons: B and Shift+B.
Find edit boxes, E and Shift+E.

Getting Started

Open LiChess at https://lichess.org/.
Go to the top of the page.
Arrow down twice to land on the button that enables and disables Blind mode. Press that until you have enabled the feature.
Scroll down (arrow down) to “Login” and press Enter if you have not logged on before.
Register or log in to your LiChess account.

Navigating the Site

Remember to press VO-Q to use the following keys.
Use H and Shift+H to navigate by headings and arrow keys to scroll up and down.
Use Tab and Shift + Tab to navigate buttons and links.
When making moves, press VO-Q again so that your key strokes will register in the edit box.

Playing a Game

Accepting a Challenge

Make sure your screen reader is in Browse mode. For JAWS, press JAWSKey+Z. For NVDA, press NVDA+Space. For VoiceOver, press VO-Q.
When you hear a bell indicating a challenge, press B repeatedly until you hear “Accept button.”
Move upward to see the game parameters.
Navigate back down to the Accept button and press Enter to accept.

Challenging a Friend

Go to the top of the page.
Press E for the search edit box.
If necessary, turn Browse mode off.
Type your friend’s username or email address and press Enter.
Press H until you hear your friend’s username.
Scroll down to “Challenge to a game” and press Enter.
Choose game parameters (variant, time control, etc.) using arrow keys, Tab, Shift+Tab, and Enter.
Press Enter on “Create game.”
The site will create a link. share it with your friend via email.

Playing Against the Computer

Put your screen reader in Browse mode if necessary.
Press H until you hear “Play.”
Scroll down to “Play against the computer” and press Enter.
Choose game parameters and press Enter on “Create game.”

During the Game

Turn on Forms mode or Focus mode for your screen reader.
Use the movement edit box to enter moves or commands.
Use Browse mode to read game information, which is above the Movement edit box.

Common commands

Note that some of the following is in upper case and some is in lower case. Enter these into the Movement edit box.

C: Read clocks.
L: Read last move.
P: Read piece location (e.g., p N for white knights). Note the upper case piece letter for White.
S: Read pieces in a row or column (e.g., s a for column a).
R: Read opponent’s name and rating.
For a full list of commands, refer to the page where you are playing the game further down below the chessboard.

Additional Features

Downloading Games

After a game, press H to navigate the game details.
Press Enter on “Download the game” to save the game file.

Joining Teams

Go to the top of the page.
Press H until you hear “Community.”
Scroll down to “Teams” and press Enter.
Explore existing teams or create your own.

Helpful Tips

Refresh the page (F5) if your opponent seems to be taking too long; the server might be lagging.
Copy or bookmark the game URL during a game to resume if the browser closes.
Bookmark tournament URLs as favorites for easy access.

Analyzing games using the Lichess Stockfish engine

Analyze a game After You’ve Just Finished Playing

Use Quick keys to navigate to the heading 2 that says “computer analysis” and press Down arrow. Press Enter.
You can also search for a player if you know their user name by finding the Search function, typing in their user name or email address and following the instructions above.
A screen opens, and you can look for the heading 1 with their name and you can check out their games. Press the “View games” link.
Their last game opens. You can then navigate to the Computer Analysis heading 2 and then press “Request Analysis”

Import a game for analysis

Go to the top of the screen.
Press 3 with Quick keys on until you hear “Tools.”
Arrow down to “Import Game” and press Enter.

Upload a PGN file

Find a game score on your computer and paste it into any text editor.
PC: press Control-A, then Control+C to copy to the clipboard.
Mac: Press Command-A, then Command-C to copy to the clipboard.
Return to LiChess.
Find the edit box to paste the game score.
PC: press Control+V.
Mac: press Command-V.
Arrow down and press “Request a computer analysis.”
Arrow down and select “Import game.”
The computer analysis appears on screen.

Downloading a Game

Navigate to the top of the page. Move down by heading 2 until you hear “More options”.
Arrow down to the second option which is “Analysis Dashboard” and press Enter.
Navigate further until you get to the heading 2 that reads “Download PGN.”
Arrow down and press Enter on the option you want.
There may also be an option to copy the game to the clipboard.

9. Helpful tips

During a game, if you notice that your opponent takes too long to make a move, even if your opponent’s time is ticking when checking the clocks, it is recommended to press the F5 key to refresh the page.

After pressing F5, if your screen reader verbalizes that it is your turn, it is because your opponent has already moved, otherwise it will verbalize waiting for the opponent.

When starting a game, copy the URL (web address of the window in execution) to the clipboard,bookmark it, or copy it to a text file. If for any reason the browser closes, simply reopen it and paste it into the address box and you can go directly to the game in progress.
Follow the above instructions also if you sign up for a tournament. This saves you from having to navigate through a bunch of pages to get back to the tournament.