Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about playing grandmasters on PLAYAGM.
Chess grandmasters are abbreviated as "GM", and challengers, who pay to play GMs, are loosely called "players" here.
These answers are written for players. Are you a grandmaster? See the Grandmaster FAQ.
What is PLAYAGM?
PLAYAGM is a platform where you can play a live game of chess against a verified grandmaster (GM).
The games run as an online simul: the GM plays several opponents at the same time, each on their own board. This is what keeps the price per game low. Every GM on PLAYAGM is verified, not just someone with a GM-sounding username (see How can I be sure that I play against a real GM?).
Here's how it works:
- Find a GM in the lobby. You'll see who is live right now, along with their price and time control.
- Book a free board. The price is reserved on your card.
- Play your game. You and the GM can send each other a handful of fixed reactions, like a handshake or "Good game". There's no chat.
- After the game, the price is charged, unless you beat the GM in fewer than 30 moves (see When am I charged?).
You can also watch live games, get notified when a GM goes live, and vote for GMs you'd like to see on PLAYAGM, all for free and without booking.
Booking is currently open to adults (18+) living in the EU (see I live outside the EU. Why can't I play?).
How much does a game cost?
Each GM sets their own price per game, so prices differ from GM to GM and can change from one session to the next. You always see the price on the GM's card in the lobby before you book. The lowest possible price is €5.00 before VAT.
One booking is one game. When you book, the price is only reserved on your card, and you may not pay at all: if you beat the GM in fewer than 30 moves, the game is free. See When am I charged? for how that works.
Watching games, getting notified when a GM goes live, and reviewing and exporting your past games are all free.
When am I charged? (The 30-move rule)
When you book a game, the price is only reserved on your card, not charged. Whether it is charged is decided when the game ends, by one rule: if you beat the GM in fewer than 30 moves, you pay nothing. It doesn't matter how the GM loses — checkmate, resignation, or the clock running out. Every other finished game is charged, including every draw, even one agreed early.
Why this rule? It keeps the GM from taking your game too lightly or playing more boards at once than they can handle. And because a player getting help from a computer would usually not beat a GM that fast either, it is fair from the GM's side too.
The table below covers every way a game can end:
| How the game ends | Do you pay? |
|---|---|
| You beat the GM in fewer than 30 moves — by checkmate, the GM resigning, or the GM's clock running out | No — nothing is charged |
| You beat the GM on move 30 or later | Yes |
| The GM beats you — by checkmate, you resigning, or your clock running out | Yes |
| The game is drawn — by agreement, stalemate, threefold repetition, the 50-move rule, or insufficient material | Yes |
When you don't owe anything, the reservation on your card is simply released, so there is no refund to wait for. How soon it disappears from your statement depends on your bank, usually within a few days.
How can I be sure that I play against a real GM?
Placeholder.
I live outside the EU. Why can't I play?
Booking is currently open to adults (18+) living in the EU. That's because of tax rules: we have to charge and pay VAT in the country where each player lives, and for now we can only do that for EU countries. We plan to open up to more countries soon.
Anyone can sign up already, wherever you live. Your account tells us where players are waiting, and the countries with the most sign-ups are the first we'll open. So if you'd like to play, register now and tick "Tell me when PLAYAGM opens in my country" under Account in the menu. We'll email you as soon as you can book.