Comparison
ChessDummy vs Chessable: which one helps you learn openings?
The short answer. Chessable is a library of opening courses that you study on its own site. ChessDummy is a free Chrome extension that shows where you left the book in the games you play on chess.com and lichess, then drills that line. Choose Chessable for depth. Choose ChessDummy if you want your openings to improve without adding a study routine. They also work well together.
What Chessable is
Chessable is the best-known opening course platform, and it is part of the Chess.com family. Authors, many of them grandmasters, publish courses made of lines and explanations. You learn each line by playing the moves on a board, and Chessable's MoveTrainer brings every line back for review on a spaced repetition schedule, so the lines you forget come back sooner.
There are free courses and paid courses, and a Pro subscription adds extra training features. Chessable runs in the browser and in mobile apps.
What ChessDummy is
ChessDummy is a browser extension, not a course library. It sits in a corner of the chess.com or lichess page while you play. It names the opening, marks the move where you or your opponent left the book, and when the game ends it offers to drill the book line from that exact game on a practice page. If you add your username, it also looks through your recent public games for the opening mistakes you repeat.
It is free, needs no account, and the opening book is stored inside the extension, so lookups are instant and your games stay on your computer.
Side by side
| ChessDummy | Chessable | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Chrome extension for chess.com and lichess | Course platform on the web and mobile |
| What you study | The opening from the game you just played | Lines from a course you chose |
| Who decides the material | Your own games | The course author |
| Depth of theory | The lines club players actually meet, up to move 10 | As deep as the course goes, often very deep |
| Explanations | Opening names and short notes on a few lines | Written explanations, and video on many courses |
| Review system | A practice list of lines that are waiting or known | Scheduled spaced repetition |
| Account | None | Required |
| Price | Free | Free courses, paid courses, optional Pro subscription |
| Phone | No, desktop Chrome only | Yes |
Chessable's plans and prices change. Check chessable.com for the current details.
Where Chessable is the better choice
- You want a complete repertoire from an expert. A good course gives you an answer to every reasonable reply, with the ideas explained. ChessDummy does not try to do this.
- You like a daily study habit. Spaced repetition rewards people who show up every day, and Chessable is built around that.
- You study on your phone. ChessDummy only runs in desktop Chrome.
- You are rated well above 1800. At that level you need more theory than ChessDummy's book holds.
Where ChessDummy is the better choice
- You buy courses and do not finish them. This is the most common complaint about course platforms. A course can hold a thousand lines, and a club player meets a small part of them. ChessDummy only ever shows you a line because it came up in your own game.
- You want feedback at the moment it matters. The best time to learn the right move is the minute after you played the wrong one. ChessDummy puts the fix in the same tab, with no export and no second site.
- You do not want another account or subscription. Install it and play.
- You are a beginner or club player. Below about 1800, games are decided by leaving the book early far more often than by a novelty on move 18. A small, relevant book is the right tool.
Using both
The two tools cover different halves of the same problem. A course tells you what you should play. Your games show what you actually play. A sensible routine is to learn the main lines of one opening from a course or a free study, then let ChessDummy point out, game after game, where your memory gave way. When the same position keeps showing up on your practice list, that is the chapter to go back to.
Frequently asked questions
Is ChessDummy a free alternative to Chessable?
It is free, and it helps you learn openings, but it works differently. Chessable teaches authored courses. ChessDummy gives you feedback and practice based on your own games. If you mainly want to stop making the same opening mistakes, ChessDummy can replace a course. If you want deep prepared theory, it cannot.
Can I use ChessDummy with my Chessable repertoire?
Yes. They do not connect to each other, but nothing stops you using both. ChessDummy checks your moves against its own built-in book, which covers the common main lines.
Does ChessDummy use spaced repetition?
ChessDummy keeps a practice list where each line is waiting, in the book or known, and it brings back the mistakes you repeat in real games. It does not schedule reviews by date the way MoveTrainer does.