Classic Chess · REST API

Basics & authentication

All endpoints live under a single base URL. Every path in this document is relative to it. 

https://classicchess.com
  • Public methods — public archive endpoints are unauthenticated reads.
  • Account authentication — account endpoints require Authorization: Bearer <token>.
  • Responses — JSON (application/json), newline-delimited JSON (application/x-ndjson), or PGN text (text/plain / application/x-chess-pgn).
  • Two surfaces — the master database (millions of historical games, 1840–2000) and the curated public archive (player and event memberships over shared game records).
  • Spec — a compact OpenAPI document is available at /api/openapi.yaml.
  • Be considerate — expensive public search and export endpoints are rate-limited per client over a fixed 15-minute window. Over budget returns 429 with error code rate_limited; wait for the window to clear rather than retrying immediately. Keep request volume reasonable and set a descriptive User-Agent.