Skip to main content

​
Overview

Lichess Broadcasts allows anyone to follow top-level chess tournaments in real-time. From World Championship matches to local club events, broadcasts provide live game updates, computer analysis, and commentary - bringing elite chess to spectators worldwide.
Broadcasts are a special type of study optimized for live tournament coverage. They automatically sync with tournament games and update in real-time.

​
What is a Broadcast?

A broadcast consists of:
  • Live game boards: Follow multiple games simultaneously
  • Real-time updates: Moves appear within seconds of being played
  • Computer analysis: Stockfish evaluation runs on all games
  • Player information: Names, ratings, FIDE IDs, photos
  • Tournament standings: Current scores and pairings
  • Commentary: Annotated analysis by titled players (optional)

​
Viewing Broadcasts

​
Finding Broadcasts

1

Browse Broadcast Page

Click “Watch” → “Broadcasts” or visit lichess.org/broadcast
2

View Live Events

Active broadcasts appear at the top marked “LIVE”
3

Check Schedule

Upcoming broadcasts listed with start times
4

Browse Archives

Past broadcasts remain available with all games

​
Broadcast Interface

Game Board Grid

View multiple games in a grid layout

Featured Board

Focus on one game with full analysis board

Move List

Follow move-by-move notation

Evaluation Graph

See position evaluation over time

​
Viewing Options

  • Board size: Adjust board size for your screen
  • Board orientation: Flip board perspective
  • Auto-advance: Follow the latest moves automatically
  • Computer lines: Show engine analysis and best moves
  • Opening book: Display opening name and theory
  • Clock times: View remaining time for each player

​
Broadcast Structure

​
Tournament Groups

Multi-round events organized as groups: Example: World Championship
  • World Championship 2024 (Group)
    • Round 1 (Broadcast)
    • Round 2 (Broadcast)
    • Round 3 (Broadcast)
    • etc.

​
Individual Broadcasts

Each broadcast covers:
  • One round of a tournament
  • Multiple simultaneous games
  • All games from one day
  • A complete tournament (for single-day events)

​
Chapters

Each game within a broadcast is a chapter:
  • Automatically named with player names
  • Updates live as moves are played
  • Includes player FIDE IDs and ratings
  • Shows game result when finished
  • Tagged with board numbers

​
Creating Broadcasts

Anyone can create broadcasts on Lichess - from World Championship matches to local club tournaments. It’s completely free.

​
Getting Started

1

Create Broadcast

Navigate to “Watch” → “Broadcasts” → “New broadcast”
2

Configure Tournament

  • Tournament name and description
  • Event dates
  • Number of rounds
  • Optional: Team information, players, sponsors
3

Set Up Game Source

Choose how games will be imported (see below)
4

Customize Display

  • Upload tournament logo
  • Add markdown descriptions
  • Configure visibility settings

​
Game Source Options

Automatically sync from a PGN file URL:
  • Provide URL to PGN file (must be publicly accessible)
  • Lichess polls URL every few seconds
  • Games update automatically as PGN updates
  • Supports multiple formats (single game or multi-game PGN)
  • Works with DGT boards, chess servers, and tournament software
Manually paste games:
  • Copy PGN text and paste into form
  • Useful for quick updates or small tournaments
  • More labor-intensive for multi-game events
  • Good for adding commentary and annotations
Broadcast Lichess games:
  • Link to games played on Lichess
  • Perfect for online tournaments
  • Automatic synchronization
  • No external software needed
Import from Chess.com tournaments:
  • Provide tournament ID or URL
  • Games sync automatically
  • Useful for covering online events

​
PGN Requirements

For automatic sync, PGN must include:
  • Standard PGN format
  • Player names in tags (White, Black)
  • Optional but recommended: FIDE IDs, ratings, board numbers
  • Current position (partial games supported)
  • Clock times (if available)
Supported sources:
  • DGT electronic boards
  • Chess-Results.com
  • Tournament management software (Swiss-Manager, ChessBase, etc.)
  • Custom PGN generators

​
Broadcast Features

​
Real-time Synchronization

Games update automatically:
  • New moves appear within 5-10 seconds
  • Configurable sync interval
  • Handles network interruptions gracefully
  • Shows “last updated” timestamp

​
Clock Times

Display remaining time:
  • Extracted from PGN clock tags
  • Updates with each move
  • Shows which player is on move
  • Time pressure indicators

​
Computer Analysis

Stockfish evaluates all games:
  • Real-time position evaluation
  • Best move suggestions
  • Multi-line analysis
  • Evaluation bar and graph
  • Optional: Hide analysis until game ends
Broadcast creators can disable computer analysis during games to prevent spoilers or “cheating” for viewers trying to predict moves.

​
Player Information

Automatic FIDE data integration:
  • Player photos from FIDE database
  • Current FIDE ratings
  • Titles (GM, IM, FM, etc.)
  • Federation flags
  • Linked to player profiles

​
Delay Settings

Add broadcast delay:
  • Prevent viewers from seeing moves immediately
  • Typical delay: 15-60 minutes for top events
  • Protects against external computer assistance
  • Configurable per broadcast

​
Reordering Games

Customize game display order:
  • Drag and drop to reorder boards
  • Prioritize featured games
  • Group by team or rating
  • Use “reorder by names” feature for automated sorting

​
Filtering Rounds

For multi-round swiss/team tournaments:
  • Filter by round number
  • Show only specific boards
  • Slice games (e.g., boards 1-5, 12-15)
  • Helps focus on relevant games

​
Broadcast Management

​
Roles and Permissions

Creator

Full control: edit settings, manage contributors, delete

Contributor

Can update games, add commentary, manage rounds

Viewer

Public access to watch games (if broadcast is public)

​
Adding Contributors

  1. Open broadcast settings
  2. Enter Lichess username
  3. Contributor can now edit and update
  4. Useful for team coverage

​
Editing During Event

You can modify while live:
  • Add/edit commentary on moves
  • Fix player names or tags
  • Correct move errors
  • Add annotations and variations
  • Adjust display settings

​
Post-Event Cleanup

After tournament ends:
  • Add final commentary and analysis
  • Fix any remaining errors
  • Tag games with notable features
  • Add introduction/conclusion text
  • Mark broadcast as completed

​
Broadcast Calendar

Schedule upcoming broadcasts:
  • Shows all scheduled broadcasts
  • Timezone-aware display
  • iCal export for personal calendars
  • Email notifications (for subscribed users)
  • Global calendar of chess events

​
Major Events on Lichess

FIDE Events

World Championship, Candidates, Grand Prix, etc.

National Championships

US Championship, European Championship, etc.

Team Events

Olympiad, European Club Cup, PRO Chess League

Junior Events

World Youth, National Scholastic Championships

​
Community Broadcasts

Anyone can broadcast:
  • Club tournaments
  • School chess events
  • Regional championships
  • Online tournaments
  • Simuls and exhibitions

​
Commentary and Analysis

​
Adding Commentary

Enhance broadcasts with expert analysis:
1

Open Game

Select a game in the broadcast
2

Navigate to Position

Click on the move where you want to comment
3

Add Comment

Write analysis, explanations, or context
4

Add Variations

Show alternative lines and possibilities
Best practices:
  • Explain key moments and turning points
  • Highlight tactical opportunities
  • Provide strategic context
  • Note opening novelties
  • Summarize game result significance

​
Live Commentary

Real-time expert commentary:
  • Titled players annotate as games progress
  • Viewers see commentary moments after moves
  • Educational and entertaining
  • Common for major championship broadcasts

​
Broadcast Archives

All broadcasts saved permanently:
  • Browse historical tournaments
  • Search by event name, player, or date
  • Download PGN of all games
  • Study past games with analysis
  • Reference for historical research

​
Technical Details

​
Sync Mechanism

How automatic sync works:
  1. Lichess fetches PGN from URL
  2. Parses game data and moves
  3. Matches games to existing chapters
  4. Updates move list and position
  5. Triggers board updates for viewers
  6. Repeats every 5-20 seconds

​
Performance

  • Supports hundreds of simultaneous games
  • Thousands of concurrent viewers per broadcast
  • Low latency (typically 5-10 second delay from source)
  • Optimized for mobile and desktop

​
DGT Board Integration

Broadcast from electronic boards:
  1. Connect DGT board to computer
  2. Use DGT LiveChess software
  3. Configure to output PGN URL
  4. Link Lichess broadcast to URL
  5. Games appear live on Lichess
DGT boards are commonly used for over-the-board tournament broadcasts, providing automatic move capture.

​
Broadcast Discovery

​
Homepage Features

Prominent broadcasts appear:
  • Homepage “Live Broadcasts” section
  • Tournament page highlights
  • Featured broadcast widget
  • Notification system for followers

​
Following Broadcasts

Subscribe to tournaments:
  • Click “Follow” on broadcast page
  • Receive notifications when rounds start
  • Quick access from your profile
  • Never miss important matches

​
Embedding Broadcasts

Embed on external websites: 
<iframe src="https://lichess.org/broadcast/{broadcast-id}"
        width="600" height="400">
</iframe>
Great for:
  • Tournament websites
  • Club pages
  • News articles
  • Chess blogs

​
Broadcast vs Study

​
When to Use Broadcasts

  • Live tournaments: Real-time game coverage
  • Automatic updates: Games sync from external source
  • Multiple games: Covering many games simultaneously
  • Public events: Maximum visibility for viewers

​
When to Use Studies

  • Deep analysis: Single game or small collection
  • Teaching: Educational content with annotations
  • Repertoire building: Opening preparation
  • Collaboration: Working with training partners
Broadcasts are technically a special type of study with extra features for live event coverage.

​
Tips for Broadcast Creators

1

Test Before Event

Verify PGN source works properly before tournament starts
2

Provide Context

Add tournament description, format, and player info
3

Monitor During Event

Check that games are syncing correctly
4

Fix Errors Promptly

Correct player names or move errors as they occur
5

Add Value

Include commentary, context, or analysis when possible

Studies

Broadcasts are specialized studies for live events

Analysis

Analyze broadcast games after completion

Games

Play games inspired by broadcast examples

Tournaments

Participate in tournaments or broadcast them

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us