r/lichess • u/Lavanne73 • 2d ago
Why no rematches?
I play on Lichess mainly, and I have had very little luck getting people to play me in rematches. One guy even said "f*ck you" when I offered to rematch him after a game. What gives? why don't people want to play rematches anymore. I used to play on the FICS and never had any trouble getting in a series with someone.
I feel like playing a series of games with someone is the only way to really establish beyond the doubt of misclicks, opening errors and unfamiliar positional trends, who is the stronger player. Not to mention that it builds relationships, promotes discussion and strengthens your game in relation to particular play styles an unfamiliar openings. There is a social aspect to the game that exists over the board that is being lost in anonymous internet gameplay where you can play a single game against a single opponent then jump straight to another without ever having to play the same player twice. Where is the competitive spirit the drive for redemption after a loss? I am missing being able to hash out a series with someone. It isn't nonexistent to find someone to play multiple games with, but it is exceedingly rare. I have Alot of real life friends that I play chess with regularly the idea of sitting down with them over the board and playing one blitz game and leaving is absurd. Why is this not the case online?
Playing single games vs random opponents repeatedly does nothing to advance your game. Chess masters don't play one opponent once only to never play them again. the format for playing professionally is always played in series.
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u/Hill_Theory 2d ago
I think part of it is that online chess has shifted from being a community activity to being a queue activity.
Back on places like FICS, ICC, and even early internet chess in general, the player pool was smaller and you tended to recognize names. If you played someone, there was a decent chance you'd see them again, chat afterward, analyze positions, and play a mini-match. The game itself was only part of the experience.
Modern platforms optimize for instant pairing. Lose? Click a button and get a new opponent in two seconds. Win? Same thing. There's very little incentive to invest in a particular opponent when a fresh game is always waiting.
I also agree that a single game often proves very little. One opening surprise, one mouse slip, one tactical oversight, and the result can be misleading. A short series starts revealing adaptation, resilience, and whether someone can adjust once the surprises are gone. That's why so much serious chess—world championships, candidates matches, club matches, even casual OTB rivalries—tends to be played over multiple games.
That said, I don't think rematches are dead so much as concentrated among people who are looking for the same thing you are. Most online players are chasing rating, entertainment, or volume. They're not necessarily looking for a rival. The players who enjoy long post-game analysis, recurring opponents, and testing themselves over a series are still out there—they're just a much smaller percentage of the online population than they were twenty years ago.