Lichess MCP

Source

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables Claude Desktop to interact with Lichess chess platform through natural language. Play games, analyze positions, manage your account, and participate in tournaments—all by simply talking to Claude.

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Overview

Lichess MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that allows users to interact with the Lichess chess platform using natural language through Claude Desktop. Users can play games, analyze positions, manage their accounts, and participate in tournaments by simply speaking to Claude.

To use Lichess MCP, set up your Lichess API token and integrate it with Claude Desktop. You can then issue commands in natural language to manage your chess activities.

Manage your Lichess account effortlessly. - Play chess games and challenges through voice commands. - Analyze chess positions and games with ease. - Join and create tournaments seamlessly. - Interact with other players using natural language.

Playing chess games against friends or AI.
Analyzing past games to improve skills.
Managing chess tournaments and team activities.
Accessing player profiles and statistics.

Add to your AI client

Use these steps to connect Lichess MCP in Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible apps. The same JSON appears in the Use with menu above for one-click copy.

Cursor

Add this to your .cursor/mcp.json file in your project root, then restart Cursor.

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lichess-mcp-karayaman": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-lichess-mcp-karayaman"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Add this server entry to the mcpServers object in your Claude Desktop config, then restart the app.

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lichess-mcp-karayaman": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-lichess-mcp-karayaman"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

Add this to your project's .mcp.json file. Claude Code will detect it automatically.

.mcp.json (project root)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lichess-mcp-karayaman": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-lichess-mcp-karayaman"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code (Copilot)

Add this to your .vscode/mcp.json file. Requires the GitHub Copilot extension with MCP support enabled.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "lichess-mcp-karayaman": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-lichess-mcp-karayaman"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add this to your Windsurf MCP config file, then restart Windsurf.

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lichess-mcp-karayaman": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-lichess-mcp-karayaman"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cline

Open Cline settings, navigate to MCP Servers, and add this server configuration.

Cline MCP Settings (via UI)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "lichess-mcp-karayaman": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-lichess-mcp-karayaman"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

How do I set up my Lichess API token?

You can set it in your `.env` file or use the `set_token` tool during runtime.

Is Lichess MCP free to use?

Yes! Lichess MCP is free to use for everyone.

Can I use Lichess MCP without Claude Desktop?

No, Lichess MCP is designed to work with Claude Desktop for natural language interaction.

Research and data