FICS Login Info and Comparison of Chess Server Interfaces

Logging in to FICS

To log in to FICS, you first need to connect to the FICS Chess Server. That connection can be made via
a web browser, or by downloading and installing an interface program or app on your computer or mobile
device. Connecting via an interface program or app will usually give you the most capabilities. On the
other hand, connecting via a web browser does not require any download and it's very simple to do.

Connecting via a Web Browser

Currently, there are two web browser connections available for FICS.

Mobialia has become a very popular way to connect to FICS. When Mobialia's home page comes up,
you can connect to FICS as a guest by simply clicking on "Play online". To connect as a registered
user, uncheck the box next to "Connect as guest". Then enter your username (under "Login") and
password, and then click on "Play online".

Freechess.club provides an easy way to connect to FICS. When on the freechess.club home page,
click on the "Play Now" button. You'll be automatically connected to FICS as a guest. To connect as a
registered user, first connect as a guest. Once you're connected as a guest, click on the yellow
"Sign In" button. In the dialog box that comes up, enter your username and your password, and then
click on "Login".

Connecting via an Interface Program or App

Interface programs and apps for use with FICS are software programs that allow a computer or mobile
device to connect to the FICS Chess Server. These programs usually contain many features. Normally,
they provide the user the full range of FICS' capabilities, plus many other added functions specific to
each individual program. Connecting via one of these programs is the preferred method for connecting
to FICS, as they usually provide the most feature rich user experience.

To connect to the FICS Chess Sever via an interface program or app, you first download the desired
program or app onto your computer or mobile device. Next, you install the program or app on your
computer or device. Lastly, you run the installed program or app, and its help section and dialogs
will guide you on its use. Most of these interface programs and apps can save your username and
password, so that you only have to enter them into the program once.

Choosing an Interface Program or App

Choosing an interface program or app is an important decision to make. Which is the best one for you,
for playing chess on FICS? The answer will depend on your preferences and use patterns (time controls,
variants played, etc.), and on which type of device you're using (computer or mobile device).

To decide which interface or app best fits your needs, you'll want to try out several of them. Many of
the available interface programs and apps are free, or have a free version, making it easy to give lots
of them a try. The following chart compares the most popular ones. For older interfaces which might be
more of historical interest, you can check this list.

Interface/App Comparison Chart

• BabasChess: Currently the most used interface, with a lot of configurable options. Windows only.
• Chess for Android: An app for Android devices. Supports DGT, Certabo, or Millennium electronic chessboards via Bluetooth. DGT and Certabo boards are also supported via USB; Millennium boards are also supported via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). When not connected to the server, it supports human vs. engine or engine vs. engine play.
• Raptor: Raptor comes with an abundance of features and configuration options, regex based filtering and much more. Your computer must have Java installed for Raptor to work. Written primarily for Mac OS X users, but runs on any platform for which Java is available (Windows, Unix/Linux). Version 1.0 is no longer available, but version 98u3f5 is still available on the Wayback Machine. More details about Raptor are available here.
• eboard: A chess interface for Unix-like systems with many features and the option to run engines.
• Diamond Chess Online: A new app with separate versions for iOS, Mac and Android. The iOS and Mac versions have special support for blind and visually impaired users, with voice over and voice over speak move.
• Jin: Jin is one of the simpler interface programs available. It is written in Java and it runs on many platforms (Windows, Linux and Mac, up through macOS 10.13 High Sierra). The applet version of Jin which used to reside on the FICS website (the "Jin Applet") is now obsolete, and is no longer available.
• Thief: Thief is a very fast and stable interface and the best choice for playing bughouse (a team chess variant) and other wild variants on FICS. Runs on all Windows versions including Vista and Windows 7.
• WinBoard/XBoard: The classic interface for Unix and Windows systems written by Tim Mann. Very good for running chess engines on computer accounts
• iNemisis: A colorful interface with a lot of themes and configuration options. Speech output.
• Mobialia chess: A feature rich mobile client for Android devices. Note that there's also a web browser version of Mobialia. See its description near the top of this page.
• BearChess: A Windows client which interfaces all major electronic chess boards (Certabo, DGT, Millennium, Chessnut Air, SquareOff Pro) to FICS.
• PearlChess: A port of the Java Lantern client to FICS by adammr. Runs on both older and newer versions of macOS. Windows users should download directly from the Microsoft Store to receive updates, but a direct installer is also available.

One Last Thought

Connecting to the FICS Chess Server is really quite easy to do. Once you're all set, you can get
connected in just a couple of seconds. There are so many interface programs and apps available that
work with FICS, we simply couldn't include them all on this page. If you'd like a complete list of all
known interface programs and apps that work with FICS, please write to support@freechess.org. If you
have any problems getting connected, please do write to us. We've helped thousands of users get
connected, and we'd be glad to provide whatever assistance we can.