When the Lechenicher Schachserver (LSS) was founded two decades ago, the goal was simple: to provide a reliable home where serious correspondence players could play serious games. Today, as we launch LSS Daily and step into a new era for the platform, that foundational mission remains. But the chess world around us has fundamentally changed.
The rise of superhuman chess engines has forced a reckoning in our sport. We are now faced with a choice: do we embrace the machines and play “Centaur Chess” (humans fueled by computer analysis), or do we fight to keep the game purely human?
Think of it like sports. In marathon running, you don’t allow someone to compete in a Formula 1 car. Both athletics and motorsport are magnificent, legitimate disciplines—as long as everyone agrees on the rules and no one is secretly driving a car in a footrace.
For years, players have been forced to choose between two extremes. If you want the pure, chaotic sprint, you go to FIDE for online blitz. If you want the grueling, multi-year marathon, you go to the ICCF.
LSS is planting its flag in the “Middle Distance.” We are combining the depth and quality of correspondence chess with the sporting thrill, time pressure, and decisive results of over-the-board (OTB) play.
The "Middle Distance" and the Return of the Clock
Traditional correspondence chess (CC) has a structural flaw: time banking. In a standard “10 moves in 40 days” tournament, players often blitz out known opening theory, banking so many days that time pressure completely vanishes.
At LSS, we are championing faster time controls: 1, 2, or 3 days per move, without the ability to hoard saved days for later. The clock becomes a weapon again.
To accommodate the busy executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals who make up our community, we have a 24-hour transmission rule. Your clock only starts ticking when you log in (up to a 24-hour limit), ensuring you aren’t penalized for a heavy workday. We also allow holiday time in certain tournaments. It requires planning, but it perfectly fits a busy lifestyle without sacrificing the rhythm of the game/tournament.
Curing the "Draw Death"
When time pressure vanishes and engines are heavily utilized, traditional CC suffers from “draw death.” Tournaments end with entirely drawn games, making it nearly impossible to crown a true champion without relying on endless, arbitrary tie-breaks. We had our share of that too in the tournaments that were played with slower time control.
By shortening the time control, we reintroduce human stress. When you are managing multiple games with only a day or two per move, the psychological pressure mimics the ticking clock of an OTB rapid game. Mistakes happen. Human creativity is forced. The result? A dramatic increase in decisive games (wins and losses) and a return to true sporting competition.
Engine or No Engine? The Choice is Yours
LSS clearly separates “Engine Allowed” (Formula 1) and “No Engine” (Athletics) tournaments. But how do we enforce this?
Over 20 years of operating LSS, Ortwin Paetzold has built a robust anti-cheating infrastructure. We know the ratings of top humans and top engines. When an average club player suddenly strings together 30 moves that perfectly match the top choice of Stockfish, the anomaly is glaring. We protect the integrity of the “No Engine” arena fiercely, so your human creativity—especially in our Chess960 (Fischer Random) tournaments—can thrive without suspicion on our platform. Although we also acknowledge that quite a few of our members do like the Engine Allowed format. Not because they want to cheat their opponent, but simply because it enables both of them to carefully study (learning by doing!) a certain game type or opening, which they can then use to become a better player when taking that acquired knowledge with them to their weekly game in the OTB club competition!
The Social Board: Real Names, Real Connections
Modern online blitz is fast, but it is incredibly lonely. You play faceless avatars, exchange no words, and leave. There are online blitz competitions in which you play 10-20 games in a row. You hardly remember what games you played, and neither do you remember your opponents. Often the fact that they use avatars as opposed to their real names doesn’t help either.
LSS is built differently. A game played over a few months allows for genuine conversation. Because chess is a shared passion, it is natural to establish a connection.
As Erik van Dijk, CEO of One4All Group and an ICCF IM, puts it: “I like that on LSS, I meet players presenting under their own names. Why hide behind a fake avatar in chess? Isn’t this about meeting new friends? You wouldn’t walk into a cafe to make friends wearing a mask. We are friends here, and friends don’t use avatars.”
The Commercial Engine
These faster, 3-to-6 month tournaments aren’t just better for players; they are vastly superior for sponsors. An ICT or AI company can sponsor a tournament and maintain high visibility over a concentrated, exciting period, rather than being forgotten in a multi-year event. This win-win allows us to offer larger prize pools and better events for our members.
Step Into the Arena
Whether you are an OTB player looking to deepen your opening repertoire, a traditional CC player wanting more decisive results, or a busy professional seeking a high-quality intellectual community, LSS is your arena.
We offer multiple ways to join:
- Standard (Free): Give the platform a try and experience the community.
- Premium: Access higher-level tournaments, play more games simultaneously and fight for bigger prize pools.
- Student: Learn through our “straight into the water” methodology, where you play immediately while a coach observes and guides your improvement, guaranteeing a quick increase in your playing strength.
Step into the Arena. Register with your real name, leave the avatar behind, and play your first games within days.