Lichess' arena format is designed for practice with performance rating peers
As always, opinions are my own, not those of Lichess.org.
As Chess.com purchases Chess24, Chessable, etc. it may feel like there is only one place to grow the game. However, that is not true! Features that passionate experts have asked Lichess for over its years make it a compelling platform for amateurs to study and practice:
Lichess Study: Brainchild of expert Tony Rotella, so see his announcement on Lichess' YouTube channel. Where is Lichess' blog post announcing it?
Chess Openings: It is possible to explore openings curated by Lichess! Lichess was grouping puzzles, so I asked: where would a player go to learn chess opening fundamentals? At great development and maintenance cost, Lichess implemented this portal.
Lichess Thematic Arenas: Years after hearing of their popularity and usefulness in academic chess team settings, I begged Lichess to keep and to promote rated opening thematic arenas. I am grateful they obliged!
Yesterday Lichess scheduled Halloween Arena 2026! A decade passed since I studied the Halloween Gambit, so I tried my luck:
https://lichess.org/game/2R0nbIaL/white#1
I can download the tournament PGN (all games) and analyze what works today using Python-Chess and/or Lichess Paste or Study. Alternatively I can learn more openings by visiting the tournament schedule and playing more arenas, whether I have studied or not! Sure, one can purchase chess books or online courses on other platforms, but as a book collector I say there is no substitute for practice!
By chance if you think you have mastered an opening (years ago, in each NM ZugAddict simul I'd play the Frankenstein-Dracula opening such tournaments can test your skill against human opponents! Did you know that every April 1 there are F-D events? I'm not angle shooting to gain rating points, I just think thematic arenas are fun and educational. It's better to lose online blitz points than to lose slow OTB touranment games!
https://lichess.org/game/RbsKAfr0/black#27
Despite all this, I admit: in general outside of these events, when playing blitz I get a similar sense as ZugAddict that Lichess players obsess over playing openings quickly rather than accurately. On other platforms whether I'm playing blitz or correspondence, I see more accurate opening play at my rating level (another way to frame this: players on other platforms fixate on opening study but don't as much improve their endgames and/or online mouse game). I hope that forthcoming FOSS features (perhaps Lichess Tutor?) expose popular errors, since I don't care to elaborate furhter, but instead celebrate the many features Lichess offers!
