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Sabrina Kolaen Sabrina Kolaen
Modified: July 12, 2024
Chess Betting

Chess Betting at Betiton UK

chess betting

Chess is one of the most challenging games to bet on. Although anyone can learn the game’s rules and intricacies, it takes a long time to master it. Luckily, chess online betting is easier. Although chess betting isn’t hugely popular at most betting sites, it’s becoming more common among chess fans who enjoy betting on sports online.

This online chess betting guide will cover all the basics of betting on the game, including reading and understanding chess betting odds, choosing the right betting markets or bet types, and the biggest chess competitions and players to consider betting on. You’ll also get our top chess betting tips to help you get started with the right moves.

🤑 Chess Free Bet £10
♟️ Bet on Chess Tournaments The Candidates Tournament, The Grand Prix, The World Chess Championship, The American Cup, The Grand Chess Tour
📈 Chess Betting Markets Outright Winner, Match Winner, Opening Move, Number of Moves
💳 Deposit Methods VISA, Mastercard, Bank Transfer, Trustly, PayPal, AstroPay, MuchBetter, Skrill, Paysafecard

Chess Betting Explained

Chess is a strategic board game in which two players move different chess pieces around on the board. The goal is to capture the opponent’s king to win the game. It’s one of the oldest board games and one of the most challenging to master because it requires excellent critical thinking, strategic planning, and concentration.

Betting on chess means placing a bet on the predicted outcome of the game. The simplest example of a chess bet is betting on one of the two players to win. You can also bet on specific moves made in the game or the number of moves it will take a player to win.

The Best Chess Tournaments You Can Bet On at Betiton UK

chess trophy

Chess tournaments are held throughout the year in different formats and for various age groups as well. While many of them are lower-level tournaments or competitions, several major competitions are contested by the world’s elite grandmasters.

Here are some of the most prestigious chess tournaments you can bet on:

♟️ Chess Tournament📍 Place🗓️ Date
The Candidates Tournament Toronto, Canada3rd – 22nd April 2024 
Wijk aan Zee (The Chess Wimbledon) Wijk aan Zee 17th January – 2nd February 2024
Grand Prix Pasching, Austria9th May – 12th May 2024 
American Cup TBATBA 
Grand Chess Tour Various locations 6th May – 31st August 2024

The Candidates Tournament

The Candidates Tournament is one of the most elite chess competitions in the world, organised by the FIDE (The International Chess Federation). Eight players from five different nations compete in a double round-robin tournament format. The winner of the Candidates competes in the World Chess Championship.

Wijk aan Zee

The Wijk aan Zee, formally known as the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, is an annual chess tournament held in the Dutch village of Wijk aan Zee. The best chess grandmasters compete in this tournament, but it’s also open to regular club players. The Masters Group in the competition sees the best 14 players competing in a single round-robin tournament, often described as the Chess Wimbledon.

Grand Prix

The FIDE Grand Prix is a series of chess tournaments organised by FIDE and Agon. Each series consists of up to six tournaments, used as qualifiers for the World Chess Championship. The FIDE Women’s Grand Prix follows a similar format and is part of the Women’s World Chess Championship qualification process.


chess timer

American Cup

The American Cup is an annual chess tournament held in the United States, featuring the best eight players in the country. The competition is an 8-player double-elimination tournament with an elimination round and one elimination final. The Women’s American Cup is held at the same time as the men’s tournament and also features eight players.

Grand Chess Tour

The Grand Chess Tour is a series of chess tournaments held in different countries. It offers multiple prize pools and comprises several major tournaments, such as the London Chess Classic, Norway Chess, and the Sinquefield Cup. The overall prize pool often exceeds one million.

How to Bet on Chess at Betiton UK?

chess betting on mobile

Chess betting online is the same as betting on any other sport in terms of the steps you need to take. First, you must create a real money account with Betiton UK or log in if you’ve already registered.

Then, follow the steps below to place a bet on a chess match at Betiton Casino:

  1. Deposit funds into your account (if needed).
  2. Choose Chess from the list of available sports.
  3. Find the chess event you want to bet on.
  4. Add your selections to your betslip.
  5. Enter the bet amount you and submit your betslip by clicking Place Bets.

Chess Betting Markets

making moves in a chess game

Compared to other sports, chess is relatively limited in terms of betting markets. Even the best chess betting sites typically offer two or three markets for chess betting due to the game’s format.

Below are the most common chess betting markets you can find at betting sites like Betiton UK:

Outright Winner or Match Winner

Betting on the outright winner is a bet where you try to predict the player to finish in first place in a chess competition or tournament. This means you’re not betting on an individual match but on the player that will win the final.

The match-winner bet is similar but is made on single matches. For example, in a game between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, you can bet on Carlsen to win the game. This bet is relatively easier to predict correctly. By comparison, the outright winner is trickier because the result will depend on multiple performances, not just a single game.

Opening Move

An interesting betting market you can try out is the opening move bet. This bet requires good knowledge of the grandmasters and their individual styles, which might allow you to guess their opening moves.

The most common opening moves are the E4, D4, and C4, but players don’t always use the ‘standard’ openings. You’ll need to know a player’s tendencies to try this bet, although players don’t always stick to the same opening move.


chess gameplay

Number of Moves

The number of moves bet refers to predicting the total number of moves needed to complete the game. An average chess game typically lasts around 40 moves but can also be 42, 43.5, and so on.

This type of bet is similar to the Over/Under betting market available in most sports. In fact, most sportsbooks allow you to bet on the number of moves in this way, so you simply need to guess whether the game will end in more or fewer moves than the number provided by the bookmaker.

Chess Betting Odds Explained by Betiton UK

Chess betting odds are used to determine the probability of a particular outcome occurring in a chess match. These odds are provided by a chess betting website for players to use when choosing their bets. Besides indicating the likelihood of an outcome happening, the odds are also used to calculate the potential return you can get from your bet.

Reading chess betting odds can be tricky for beginners, but it becomes very easy once you understand how to interpret them. Most UK online sportsbooks use the decimal format when presenting odds, such as odds of 2.10. The decimal style is the easiest to understand and use to calculate your potential return.

To determine the favourite and the underdog in a chess game, you need to find the lower number. If player A has odds of 2.10 and player B has odds of 8.0, player A is the clear favourite. To calculate the payout for that bet, multiply your bet by the odds. For example, if you bet £10 on player A and the bet wins, you receive a payout of £21.00 (£10 x 2.10 = £21.00).

Chess Betting Tips by Betiton UK

female chess player

Chess game betting is one of the most challenging types of sports betting you can try in the UK. It’s necessary to understand all the game rules and the rating system to have a good chance of placing a successful bet. Our top tip is to observe and watch multiple chess games, but you should also keep the following tips in mind:

  • Start with plenty of research – In addition to researching the participating chess players and their past performances, you should have a solid knowledge of the rules of chess.
  • Find good-value bets – Betting on the favourite is often a safe route to take, but you should also look for other players with good odds that also have a chance of winning.
  • Understand the format of the event you’re betting on – The competition format is important to consider when placing your bets because it can influence what moves players make at different stages.
  • Identify the strongest players – Familiarise yourself with the grandmasters of the game and their past performances before betting on them.
  • Manage your bankroll wisely – Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and aim for smaller wins rather than going for the riskiest bets for a chance to win big.
  • Use a sportsbook bonus to bet on chess – Many online chess betting sites offer a bonus which can be used to place a free chess bet. Remember to read the terms and conditions first.

Chess Live Betting at Betiton UK

chess live betting

Live chess matches can last an average of 3.5 hours. More accurately, the length of an average chess game is 40 moves. This means there are plenty of opportunities for live chess betting or in-play betting. Unlike the pre-match betting markets described earlier, live betting is done when a chess game has started.

With live betting, you can usually make better predictions for the final result based on each player’s first moves. Many betting sites offer chess live betting, and some also provide a live stream of the game you’re betting on so you can watch and bet on the game simultaneously.

Chess Matches to Look Out for in 2024

♟️ Players📍 Tournament📅 Date
Fabiano Caruana vs Hikaru NakamuraFIDE Candidates Chess Tournaments 20244th April 2024
Nijat Abasov vs Ian NepomniachtchiFIDE Candidates Chess Tournaments 20244th April 2024
Hikaru Nakamura vs Vidit Santosh GujrathiFIDE Candidates Chess Tournaments 20245th April 2024
Sebastian Iermito vs Kirill AlekseenkoMenorca Open 20244th April 2024
Edgar Mamedov vs Ido GorshteinMenorca Open 20244th April 2024

Chess Betting Offers & Promotions by Betiton UK

While there are no specific chess bettingoffers at Betiton UK right now, you might be able to use the funds from your Sports Welcome Offer for betting on chess. The Welcome Offer is available to new players only who deposit and wager a minimum of £15. In return, Betiton rewards new members with a £10 Free Bet for chess or any other type of sports betting.

The Sports Welcome Offer is subject to terms and conditions. Please read these carefully to be aware of the minimum deposit, odds, and other conditions you should be aware of before making your qualifying deposit.

Responsible Gambling at Betiton UK

Responsible gambling is a crucial aspect of online betting, whether you’re betting on chess or other sports or playing at our online casino. At Betiton UK, we take responsible gambling seriously and encourage you to bet on chess safely. It’s important to understand that gambling is meant to be a fun and exciting activity; it’s not a way to earn money.

We encourage you to set a budget before placing bets and avoid chasing losses. Betiton UK has several tools, such as deposit limits, time-out periods, and self-exclusion options, to help you gamble responsibly.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions About Chess Betting

Can You Bet on Chess in the UK?

Yes! Although chess isn’t a very common betting option at most sportsbooks, you can find reliable chess betting sites like Betiton UK, where you can bet on the World Chess Championships and other important chess events.

What is the 20 Rule in Chess?

The 20 Rule in Chess refers to the 20-40-40 method of playing chess, which instructs players to allocate 20% of their time for their opening, 40% for the middlegame, and the last 40% for the endgame.

Who is the World No 1 Chess Player at the Moment?

Magnus Carlsen is currently the best chess player. He won the World Chess Championship and the World Rapid Chess Champion five times. He’s also a seven-time World Blitz Chess Champion winner.

What is the Highest Level Chess Competition?

The World Chess Championship is the most prestigious and important competition in the world of chess. It’s played to determine the world champion in the game.

How to Read Chess Odds?

Chess odds are usually in decimal format and are provided for both players. For example, Magnus Carlsen has odds of 1.50 to win, while Jorden van Foreest’s odds are set at 6.00. With these odds, Magnus Carlsen is the clear favourite to win, while the opponent is the underdog.

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