♞plymico.
THE LONG GAME

About Plymico.

Chess by letter, for the age of the inbox. How it works, and where it comes from.

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A LITTLE HISTORY

Before the internet, a game could last years.

Correspondence chess is chess played at a distance, one move at a time. In 1824 the London Chess Club challenged the Edinburgh Chess Club to a match by post. Each move travelled some 400 miles by mail coach, and the match ran from April 1824 to July 1828.

The underdogs won. Edinburgh took two games to London's one, with two draws. In one game London asked to take back a move; Edinburgh declined and went on to win it. The match also gave an opening its name: the Scotch Game, still played today.

Plymico keeps that rhythm, without the mail coach. A move today. A reply tomorrow. A rivalry for years.

How Plymico works

Challenges

Challenge a friend by username or email, or create an invitation link to share. Invitations stay open for 14 days.

Time to think

Choose 1, 3 or 7 days per move, or no deadline. The clock starts when the invitation is accepted and resets with every move. We remind you when a move is due within a day; if the deadline passes, the game is lost on time.

Draws

Offer a draw at any time; your friend can accept or decline, and the next move withdraws it. On your turn you can claim a draw after threefold repetition or 50 moves without a capture or pawn move. Stalemate, insufficient material, fivefold repetition and the 75-move rule end the game as a draw automatically.

Notifications

Moves, challenges, results and deadline reminders appear under the bell. Turn on email notifications in Preferences to get them by email too.

Leaderboard

Ranks all players by completed games, this week, this year or all time. At most three games against the same opponent per day count.

The chess world

A reading page picked each day from chess publishers: fun stories, lessons, news, gaming and history. Shuffle shows other picks from each section.

Questions

Is Plymico free?

Yes. All features are currently free.

Can I take back a move?

No, as in 1824. Turn on “Confirm before sending a move” in Preferences for one extra check before a move is sent.

Can I keep a copy of my games?

Yes. Every game has an Export PGN link that opens in any chess program.

How do I change the name other players see?

Set a display name in Preferences. Your username stays the same.

Can I change the board?

Choose a board palette and piece style in Preferences. They apply to every game.

Suggestions

An idea, a bug, a feature you miss? Tell us. We read every one.