Last updated on: October 5th, 2023
Betting On Chess
While many may not realize it, betting sites for chess that accept US players exist. In fact, many chess betting sites are as profitable for bettors as other sports. Chess odds come in a bit different than other odds listed at online sportsbooks. As you continue reading, we’ll discuss how betting on chess is legal as well as where you can find the best chess odds. Afterward, you to be able to choose what chess bets you want to make.
- A game of skill and strategy, you’ll be able to find odds on major tournaments for chess. This includes the Linares and Tata Steel tournaments for individual players. Also, the Chess Olympiad is there for when players are representing their countries. These major tournaments are usually when odds at legal online sportsbooks appear.
Top Chess Betting Sites
| Rank | Sportsbook | Bonus Offer | Play Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Exclusive 50% Bonus Code up to $1000!Read Review | BVD1000 in Cashier |
| 2 |  |
50% Up To $1,000Read Review | Visit BetOnline! |
| 3 |  |
50% Up To $1,000 Read Review | Visit MyBookie! |
| 4 |  |
100% Up To $300Read Review | Visit Xbet! |
| 5 |  |
50% Up To $1,000 Read Review | Visit SportsBetting! |
#1
Bovada Sportsbook
Best Chess Betting Site In The US
Whether chess betting on future tournaments or live events, Bovada is the best legal sportsbook. Bovada offers secure deposits and quick withdrawals through credit cards, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies for betting on chess in the US. The FIDE World Championship is the biggest tournament in the world for chess and receives the most traction for US bettors. Bovada has odds for the outright winner of the tournament and prop bets for the finalists during the time of the event each year.
Rating: 
- Chess Odds
- Easy Deposits
- Easy-to-use Interface
- Mobile friendly
- Efficient payouts
Best Deposit Methods For Legal Sports Betting
While legal sports betting sites in the US have credit card and bank transfer deposit methods available, cryptocurrency is the most secure method type of deposit methods at legal sportsbooks. There are no fees attached to any transactions with Bitcoin or other cryptos for legal sportsbooks like BetOnline or Bovada. Bitcoin deposits process instantly and offer same day payouts for all legal chess betting activities.
Is Betting on Chess Legal?
Betting on chess is legal and is one of the more popular niche sports to bet on. If there are odds listed for chess on the right online sportsbooks then you should feel free to go ahead and bet on the match. Online sportsbooks that operate in countries outside the U.S. are not unlawful. As such, you can enjoy betting on chess tournaments as much as you want.
What Bets Can You Make On Chess?
If you have an interest in betting on chess, you should get an understanding of what type of bets you can make as well as how to follow them. Some of the betting types below are the basics for how to bet on chess. So, learn what you need to know to have a better chance of cashing out.
Betting On Chess Over/Unders
Betting the Over/Under on chess is simple. But, you will notice that it is different than betting the Over/Under for the NFL. Instead, you’re betting on how many moves one of the players will make. This can be for one player or both but it’s throughout the whole game. So, imagine Magnus Carlson and Fabiano Caruana are playing. Online sportsbooks have Carlson’s projected moves at 150.5 with the Over favored at -150 and under at +110. It means chess betting sites expect him to make 151 moves or more.
Betting On Chess Futures Bets
When making a futures bet on chess, you are betting on something to happen way in advance. Chess odds are available long in advance. So, you will have the opportunity to bet on them at any time before the event happens. An example of this would be placing a bet on the World Chess Championship weeks in advance. You will also notice that odds for futures bets tend to offer larger payouts. This is because of the uncertainty based on how far in advance the tournament is.
Betting On Chess Straight Bets
A straight bet on chess is as simple as they come. You are betting on who you think is going to be the winner at the end of the match. Online sportsbooks will have odds for both of the players and the player with shorter odds means that they are more favored to win. For example, if online sportsbooks set Ding’s odds at -350 and Wang’s odds and +200, that would mean that Liren Ding is favored to win. The more favored players will always require more money up front because its less of a risk.
Betting On Champions Chess Tour 2023
This Chess tour is one of the most extreme but exciting tournaments in existence. This is an online chess tour that has a $1.6 million pool, and takes place from February to November of 2023. In this tour, there are major tournaments, and regular tournaments, and there is money that is divided up for each one. Due to the online format, this chess tour allows players from all over the world to participate in the tournaments, and compete for various sums of wining, with the major tournaments having a total pool of $210,000 and the regular having $60,000. For all of these individual tournaments, bettors can place wagers on the winner of each event.
Other Popular Chess Events
There are many popular chess events that take place worldwide, with some competitions being online, and others having physical locations. With major chess events, there are legal sportsbook that offer odd for the outcomes, and various other betting types. The FIDE Grand Prix sends the winner and runner up to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, which then can qualify players for the Chess World Cup.
- FIDE Grand Prix – This event is a series of four separate tournaments, and all four rounds consist of playing the best of two matches.
- Chess World Cup – This chess tournament is played every two years, with single match elimination, and has a total of 128 players involved.
- The Candidates Tournament – For this tournament, the number of players changes and jumps around each year, but it is a special event, because the winner is given the opportunity to challenge the winner of the World Cup.
- World Corporate Chess Championship – This is an online chess tournament that consisted of over 1500 players in 2021.
Biggest Chess Tournaments To Bet On
Chess has a few big tournaments every year that attract chess bettors. The big one would be the Chess World Cup were sports bettors from all over the world compete against each other. The majority of the big chess tournaments take place overseas as chess is a universal game of strategy. Online betting sites for chess that accept US players primarily focus on tournaments, with the World Cup, World Chess Championship, and the Chess Olympiad as the main draws. Regardless of which tournament you choose to wager on, US chess betting sites offer long odds with big payouts for nearly every match.
Banking Options For Chess Betting
If you are going to make a deposit into an online sportsbook account to bet on chess, you have different options for doing so. You can use your banking debit or credit card, money order, or even go as far as using online cryptocurrency like bitcoin. As long as you have an account to deposit money in, you can use any one of these payment methods and even use promotional offers when doing so.
When collecting your winnings at chess betting sites that take US players, there are other options as well. If you used your debit or credit card or a money order, you can get your winning by a wire transfer or even by a check in the mail. When using online cryptocurrency though, you could get the money sent back to your online cryptocurrency wallet. Cryptocurrencies are always one of the faster sportsbook deposit methods when betting on chess or any other sport for that matter.
