REST API | Classic Chess API

The API covers the player archives, biographies, notable games, events, annotated books, and the master database. Public reads need no API key. To work with your own collections, create a personal API token in your profile settings.

Start with the quick start, the SDK examples, or the endpoint reference.

Choose your SDK

The same Classic Chess API in three languages. MIT licensed, with source and examples on GitHub.

Python 3.10+

Python

ClassicChessClient

Standard-library client and command-line tools. Install classicchess-sdk from PyPI; source is on GitHub.

Get the Python SDK

Node.js 22+ · Electron

TypeScript / JavaScript

classicchess-sdk

Typed client with async iteration. Install from npm: npm install classicchess-sdk. Source is on GitHub.

Get the TypeScript SDK

JVM · Android

Kotlin / Android

com.classicchess:api-client

Typed client with coroutines and Flow. Build from GitHub; Maven Central publication is pending.

Get the Kotlin SDK

All three support catalogs, player profiles and biographies, notable games, paginated archives, PGN and NDJSON exports, opening statistics, and account and application APIs.

The Python SDK is available on PyPI: install classicchess-sdk in a Python 3.10+ virtual environment. See the installation commands and first examples.

Use with an AI agent

Connect Claude or ChatGPT in your browser, Claude Code, or Codex to https://classicchess.com/mcp/. Sign in and approve library access to save study plans and read progress. Read the MCP server documentation, or give an agent llms.txt. The optional Python stdio relay is available on PyPI and as a source ZIP.

Public data needs no API key. For personal collections, read account authentication and scopes. The JSON discovery index and OpenAPI specification are also available.