Chess is not the first sport you’d think about when the topic of sports betting comes up. However, many bookies prove that betting on this game is fairly popular.
Jimmy is our on-duty tipster and writer. His favorite sports are cricket, tennis, and basketball. If you’re looking for the best betting tips in the business, Jimmy’s your guy. His tips and events previews are among the most read at BetZillion.
However, while finding a sportsbook that will offer chess betting markets is simple enough, locating the best bookmaker for your chess betting needs is another story. This article will teach you all about how to choose the top sportsbook for chess.
The List of the Best Chess Betting Sites
Chess is a fairly niche sport in the world of sports betting, but that doesn’t mean that betting on this sport is inaccessible. On the contrary, many sportsbooks cover tournaments and allow you to place bets on matches.
The trick is to know how to recognize which are the best chess bookmakers.
When deciding which sportsbook to use to bet on chess, there are a few things to consider and check. All of the top bookmakers will have a few things in common, and there are certain things they all do well.
Most importantly, all good sportsbooks are safe and licensed, offering competitive odds and good market coverage. Good offers, although less important than competitive odds, are a big factor, as are live betting and bonus features such as live streaming and the availability of a mobile app.
Bookmakers who check those marks are typically your best bet, but ultimately, which sportsbook you use to bet on chess comes down to what you want to do. So perhaps it’s wiser to rank them based on certain categories.
There are several great sportsbooks for betting on chess, all of which do a lot of things right. However, even in a group of great bookmakers, I can separate them based on what they’re best at.
Unibet is the best chess bookie available, and there are many reasons to support that claim. It is a reputable sportsbook that holds multiple licenses, ensuring that it’s as safe as it gets.
Beyond its good reputation and security, Unibet offers highly competitive odds, excellent market coverage, and all the features you’d want to see in an online bookmaker. Even though Unibet is not the only good bookmaker available, it does a lot of things right and deserves to be recognized as the best overall option.
Bwin is another highly reputable brand and an excellent chess sportsbook. It offers a good selection of betting markets, good odds, and many other features you’d expect from a solid sportsbook.
But what makes it stand out from the rest of chess gambling sites is its excellent bonuses. Besides the welcome bonus, Bwin regularly offers other promotions that punters and even those who bet on other sports will find valuable.
Mobile betting has been gaining in popularity, so much so that it has become mandatory for all solid bookmakers to cater to mobile punters. The majority do, but some do a much better job at it than others.
The biggest differentiating factor between good and great bookies is the availability of a mobile betting app. And very few sportsbooks do as good of a job at it as 22Bet.
22Bet is easily one of the top choices for anyone who is after a reliable sportsbook that offers a chess gambling app. The app has a good design, works without any issues, and comes with all the features found on the desktop version — a perfect combination for any mobile punter.
Live betting has become increasingly popular, which explains why most sportsbooks have started offering more in-play betting markets. Yet, not all do it equally.
LVBet stands out as the top choice for in-play betting. Its excellent live betting section offers bettors a wide selection of betting markets and live streaming options. Moreover, the site works fast and without any issues, creating a perfect environment for live betting.
PROS
CONS
PROS
Excellent in-play betting offer
The site offers a great variety of betting markets
Payout limits are a non-issue for most bettors, as very few place large enough bets to reach the upper limit. However, those who bet on chess online will often encounter that payout limits can be a problem.
SpinBetter is a solid sportsbook that offers higher payout limits. It is a solid choice for bettors who like to bet with larger amounts.
Using a safe sportsbook with a good reputation is extremely important, as that’s the only way to ensure the safety of personal and financial information. Those after a reliable, trusted, and safe sportsbook don’t have to look much further than Megapari, which holds several licenses and has a long history of offering betting services without any major complaints from its users.
BetWinner is a well-known platform and a prominent name in the online betting world. It is, however, also one of the best sportsbooks for those who are after a betting platform with extra features.
Besides offering live streaming, BetWinner has other features, such as a cash-out option, many customization features, a mobile app, and more.
PROS
CONS
PROS
A generous selection of extra features
Great live betting offer
Good variety of casino games
CONS
Website layout might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Mobile betting is slowly becoming the main way punters wager on sports, and according to some research, it’s already the prevalent approach to sports betting among younger demographics. Sportsbooks didn’t need long to recognize this trend, which explains why all of the best platforms nowadays cater to mobile punters by offering a dedicated mobile app.
However, while finding a sportsbook with a mobile app is easy, it’s important to know how to recognize a good one. And there are a few factors to take into account.
Design: Design is mostly subjective, but there’s a clear difference between a well-designed app and a poorly designed one. A good design will ultimately positively affect your betting experience, which goes a long way when wagering from a mobile app.
Availability: Sportsbooks have to keep the apps updated and available on Android and iOS. If that fails, apps can start malfunctioning, which leads to bugs, and no one wants that.
Speed: naturally, all great mobile apps have to work well and fast enough so it’s not a hassle. This is typically directly tied to the app design, but a well-designed app sometimes might not work as smoothly as you’d want.
Features: Great mobile apps have to come with all the same features you can find on the chess betting website. That includes live streaming, cashout options, live betting, and more.
If you find a mobile app that checks all those marks, it’s almost certainly a good choice. And you can find some of my top picks in the table below.
If you plan to bet on chess, it’s wise to sign up with sportsbooks that can offer bonuses and promotions. Even though bonuses are not as important as quality odds, they offer tons of value to punters and should be taken into account when deciding which sportsbooks you’ll use.
Chess betting is not as massive as wagering on other sports, so you have to be prepared to face the fact that bookmakers typically won’t have as many specific promotions. Still, you can expect special offers during popular tournaments such as the Chess World Championship.
Bonuses on an online chess betting app or website will come in many shapes and sizes. But most commonly, they include deposit bonuses, free bets, enhanced odds on tournament candidates who are not favored, and more. The promotions are also divided into two categories – bonuses for new users and bonuses for existing users.
It’s important to note that most bonuses come with terms and conditions, which bettors need to check before claiming the promotions. The most obvious example is the minimum deposit and rollover requirement on all welcome offers.
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Betting on chess online might seem like a daunting task for those who’ve never done it before, but that’s reasonable. Chess is a very complex game; however, from a betting perspective, it’s not difficult to get into it.
If you want to start wagering, you need to take only a few steps, and eventually, anyone can become an expert.
Before you place your first bet, you need to sign up with a reliable sportsbook that offers chess betting markets.
It is critical to use only safe and reliable licensed sportsbooks with competitive odds, good marker coverage, bonus offers, and other features you’d want to see on a betting platform.
You should sign up with multiple gambling online platforms, as this is the only way to have access to multiple markets and, ultimately, more options when looking for the best odds.
Check if the sportsbooks have enough withdrawal and deposit options – and whether they have the method you prefer.
Online chess betting sites with high betting limits are your friends – especially if you’re a high roller.
Preferably, you should pick a bookie with live betting markets. Even if you don’t plan to bet in-play, having that option is advantageous.
The availability of a mobile app is also advantageous, as it allows you to place bets quickly and efficiently on the go.
With an account set up, it’s wise to find one or many websites that can offer you valuable information, such as stats and data on games and any player, which will help you find educated bets.
Following betting experts and reading previews is a good way to start, as previews are an excellent source of valuable information you’ll need to decide what to bet.
After you decide where to bet on chess and have access to websites with data and important information, you need to have a solid strategy and a good understanding of bankroll management.
About Odds
Reading odds is very simple since they’re no different than the odds you’d come across when betting on other sports. However, many people don’t understand how the odds work.
The most important thing to remember is that sportsbooks often offer different odds on the same events or games. That’s not because they want to confuse you, but mainly because the sportsbooks use different systems to set the odds and because some are slow to adjust their offer.
So before you place a bet online, you’ll first want to find a sportsbook with the best offer available. For example, Unibet can have Magnus Carlsen priced at 3.00 to win the next World Championship, while PlayZilla can have him priced at 4.00. Naturally, if you want to bet on Carlsen, it would make more sense to bet on him with PlayZilla.
As a punter, you have to be aware that sportsbooks will have different offers. Only by having multiple betting accounts can you take advantage of these discrepancies in odds. By doing that, you can set yourself up for success, ensuring higher payouts at the same price.
Most Popular Chess Competitions & Tournaments
Chess is played worldwide, which explains why dozens of countries host various events. Some are less important and hence not covered as well by some sportsbooks, but there are also numerous major events that will be covered well by all bookies for chess.
Those include the Candidates Tournament, Wijk aan Zee, the Chess tournament in Linares, and many more.
If you plan to bet on bigger events, you can expect better market coverage and even some betting bonuses. So, while it’s possible to bet on smaller tournaments, it pays to focus on more significant events!
Most Popular Chess Betting Markets
There are not only many chess betting online platforms, but also plenty of betting markets to explore and use. And that includes some proposition bets that expand your options when looking for the best wagering opportunities.
Here are some of the most popular betting markets.
Outright Winner
The outright winner is a future or outright wager, which is most commonly used to predict which player will win a tournament. As with any outright (or future) wagers, it’s a bet on future events, which can also include bets on who will reach the quarterfinals, which player will score the most points in a match throughout the whole tournament, which two players will reach the finals and more.
Match Winner
Match winner is the simplest wager you can make. As the name suggests, it’s a bet on which player will win the next match and works the same as match-winner bets on any other sport.
Opening Move
Opening move wager is a form of a proposition bet in chess betting, with which you get to predict what the opening move of a game will be. There are 20 possible opening moves, and you can bet on any of them.
Still, some openers are far more popular in a professional match; hence, there will be different odds of bookmakers offering different moves.
Number of Moves
The number of moves is another self-explanatory chess wager under the proposition bet category. As the name suggests, it allows you to bet on how many total moves will be made in a game – and it’s often available as an over/under wager.
Live Betting
Live betting is nothing new in the world of sports wagering, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that it’s also possible to live bet on games. From betting on the next move, the winner, or whether the match will end in a draw, live betting offers plenty of wagering opportunities.
Live betting has been around since the 90s when sportsbooks were first able to develop a website and offer live gambling options.
Not only should the bookmaker have live markets, but it’s also highly advantageous to find a sportsbook that has live streaming coverage since not all sports TV channels cover chess events. While you can still find live streams on streaming websites, it is far more convenient to have a stream available on the site from which you plan to bet.
Chess Betting Tips & Predictions
Betting on chess is fairly accessible, but starting can be difficult, especially if you’ve never bet before. But with the right approach, it can turn into an enjoyable and potentially profitable experience.
Before placing a single bet it’s critical that you know how to do proper research and find as much information on the match and players as you can. It will help you decide where to place your money, and while it can be a time-consuming task, it’s also the only way to find educated bets.
Finding a website that can offer you betting picks and predictions on games will greatly benefit your long-term success as a bettor. And that is not necessarily because you’ll be copying what the betting predictions tell you but because betting previews are the best tool to get information on games.
The best way to approach this is to find a website offering betting picks and predictions on games. While you shouldn’t follow online previews blindly, they can be an excellent source of information that will help you find the best wagering opportunities.
Betting previews provided by experts include all the information you’ll need to decide what to bet. Admittedly, there aren’t as many websites with chess betting predictions as there are on other, more popular sports, but that doesn’t mean there are none.
Chess Betting Strategies
Everyone wants to find the one betting strategy that will guarantee profits, but there is no such thing unless we talk about matched betting. That’s another topic. So, instead of looking for the one unbeaten strategy, it’s wiser to know how to approach wagering on chess.
The most important thing you can do is sign up for the best available chess betting online sites with competitive odds, good market coverage, and some betting offers. You’re doomed from the start without access to proper chess online sportsbooks, so make sure you pick the right one.
Consider checking Elo ratings before placing a bet. While Elo rating won’t give you a complete answer, it’s the best way to measure the player’s strength and skill.
Analyse past results, and don’t forget to take into account the head-to-head record.
Look for value rather than bet on who you think will win. It might sound counterproductive, but you should emphasize the odds more than who you think is a better player.
Looking for value is tied directly to betting with the best available odds – checking through all available markets across multiple sportsbooks to find the best price.
Lastly, it’s very important to learn how to manage your bankroll. Set a starting bankroll, decide on the size of the wagers, and stick with the plan. Most importantly, never overbet, and don’t chase your losses.
By following these steps, you’ll set yourself up nicely to succeed. But remember that betting is a process, so don’t expect to become rich overnight.
Bottom Line
Before I conclude my article, here are some interesting facts about chess and betting on this sport you should know about.
There are over 318 billion possible positions after each chess player has made only four moves.
There are more possible positions after four chess moves than electrons in the observable universe (10^120).
The longest chess game was between Nikolic and Arsenovic in 1989, which ended in a draw after 269 moves.
The rule that the first pawn can move two squares instead of one was introduced in 1280.
The longest possible game of chess (theoretically) is 5949 moves.
The word “Checkmate” in chess comes from the Persian saying “Shah Mat,” which means “the king is dead.”
It concludes my article about how to recognize the best chess online bookmakers, and how to approach wagering on this sport. Now, you’re ready to sign up with the best chess bookies and start betting on one of the world’s oldest sports!
Jimmy is our on-duty tipster and writer. His favorite sports are cricket, tennis, and basketball. If you’re looking for the best betting tips in the business, Jimmy’s your guy. His tips and events previews are among the most read at BetZillion.
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