Your Skill
Can Compete.
Play. Compete. Climb the Rankings. SkillArena connects skilled players through rated online games and organised tournaments.
- Server-verified
- every move
- Separate
- rating per game
- Free
- to play
Top chess players
View all →How it works
Create your profile
Sign up free, pick a username and set your country so you appear on national leaderboards.
Play rated games
Get matched with players of similar strength. Every rated game moves your Elo rating — one rating per game.
Enter tournaments
Join Swiss, round-robin and knockout events. Many are completely free, some are sponsored.
Build your reputation
Climb the rankings, earn achievements and qualify for higher-level competitions.
Games
Classic strategy games with proper competitive infrastructure. More games are on the way.
Chess
Bullet, blitz, rapid and classical. Full FIDE rules, server-side clocks.
Play chess →Checkers
Mandatory captures, multi-jumps and kings. Separate checkers rating.
Play checkers →More games
Connect Four, draughts variants and other skill games are planned.
Upcoming tournaments
Swiss, round-robin, single- and double-elimination events with published rules, tie-breaks and schedules. Free community tournaments come first — so everyone can compete from day one.
See tournamentsHow prizes work
- • Every prize structure is published before registration opens.
- • Prizes are released only after results are final and the dispute window has closed.
- • Paid entry and cash prizes are offered only where legally permitted, to verified adult players.
- • Every transaction is recorded in an immutable ledger.
Player achievements
Safety & fair play
Authoritative server
Moves, clocks and results are decided by our game server — never by the app.
Human review
Suspicious games are flagged, then reviewed by people before any decision.
Secure accounts
Strong password hashing, optional two-factor authentication, session controls.
Respectful community
Report, block and mute tools with active moderation.
Frequently asked questions
Is this gambling?+
No. SkillArena is built around skill competition: outcomes in chess and checkers are decided by the players' decisions, not chance. Most competitions are free. Paid-entry events and cash prizes are only offered in countries where they are legally permitted, and only to verified players.
How is my rating calculated?+
We use the Elo system. Beating a stronger opponent earns more points than beating a weaker one. New players have a provisional rating that moves faster until it settles. Chess and checkers ratings are completely separate.
How do you stop cheating?+
The game server validates every move and controls the clock — the app can never declare a result. Suspicious games are flagged for human review by our fair-play team. Nobody is banned by an algorithm alone.
How do prizes work?+
Each tournament publishes its prize structure up front. Prizes are only released after results are final and the dispute window has closed, and identity verification may be required where the law demands it.
Can I practise without risking my rating?+
Yes. Play the computer at five levels, from beginner to expert, or send a friendly game link to a friend. Both are free and unrated.
Can I play on my phone?+
Yes. The whole platform is designed mobile-first — boards, clocks and tournament tables all work on small screens.