prettierlichess.github.io

What is Prettier Lichess?

Prettier Lichess is a browser extension that restyles Lichess, the free chess platform, to look more modern and to give users control over the site's colors. It works on top of the existing site rather than replacing it: the games, analysis, studies and tournaments stay where they are, but the interface is reskinned and made easier to use. It is available for Chrome and Firefox, and its source code is public.

What it actually does

• Visual overhaul. The extension changes how lichess.org looks, addressing the complaint that the original design feels dated. The stated motivation is that a plain-looking interface can push people toward other platforms and away from a genuinely useful free resource.
• Full color customization. Users control the complete color palette rather than picking from a few presets. Palettes can be imported and exported, so a setup can be saved, shared or moved between browsers.
• Community themes. The project points to a Google Drive folder for shared color schemes and a community-driven theme library on GitHub, and invites users to contribute their own designs.

Who it is for

The clearest fit is an existing Lichess user who spends real time on the site — playing, studying, or running analysis — and finds the default look tiring or visually inconsistent. It also suits tinkerers who want a specific palette, for example a dark scheme for late-night play or high-contrast colors for readability. Someone who only visits Lichess occasionally, or who dislikes extensions altering sites they log into, has less reason to install it.

Trade-offs to expect

Because this is a restyling layer over a site that keeps changing, the project itself notes it is under constant development and that some elements may not be styled correctly as Lichess adds features. In practice that means occasional unstyled buttons, panels or menus after a Lichess update, which you would report through the project's issue tracker. Custom palettes can also hurt usability if contrast is poor — a dark board theme that clashes with piece colors is a common pitfall — so test any imported theme in a real game before committing to it.

If you want to try it, install the extension, apply one of the community palettes, then play a short game and open an analysis board to check that boards, pieces, move lists and buttons all remain readable before you customize further.

How do I install Prettier Lichess on Chrome or Firefox?

Install Prettier Lichess from your browser's official add-on store: Chrome users get it from the Chrome Web Store, and Firefox users get it from the Firefox Add-ons store. Both links sit on the project's own page, Prettier Lichess. After installing, open lichess.org and the restyled interface should appear automatically; if it doesn't, check that the extension is enabled and reload the tab.

What to expect once it's on

The extension changes Lichess's visuals and gives you control over the site's full color palette, with import and export for palettes you build. The project also points to a community theme library and a shared color folder, so you can borrow someone else's scheme instead of designing one from scratch.

A quick first-run routine

1. Install from the store matching your browser.
2. Visit lichess.org and confirm the new look loads.
3. Open the extension's options to adjust colors or import a palette.
4. If a page element looks unstyled, report it — the project notes that Lichess keeps changing, so some parts may lag behind.

Chrome vs. Firefox

The choice is simply whichever browser you already use for Lichess. If you play on both, install it in each.

One caveat worth knowing before you start: the developer states the extension is under constant development and that Lichess itself keeps adding features, so occasional styling gaps are expected rather than a sign you installed it wrong. If you want a theme that matches your board and piece set, start with the community library first and tweak from there.

How can I customize the color palette in Prettier Lichess?

Prettier Lichess lets you control the entire color palette of lichess.org, rather than just switching between a few preset looks. The extension exposes the site's colors so you can adjust them yourself, and it supports importing and exporting palettes, which makes it practical to save a setup, share it, or move it between browsers.

A workable customization routine

1. Install the extension in your browser, then open lichess.org.
2. Open the extension's options or settings to reach the color controls.
3. Change colors in the palette. Because the full palette is exposed, expect to set more than one background or accent color — a board color, a page background, text, and interface accents are the kinds of values that tend to appear.
4. Check the result on a real page rather than only in the settings panel. A palette that looks balanced in a small preview can behave differently across a game page, a study, or the analysis board.
5. Export the palette once it works. Keeping the exported file means you can restore it after a browser change or reuse it on another machine.
6. If a specific element still looks wrong, report it. The project notes that Lichess keeps changing and adding features, so some elements may not be styled correctly even though most areas work.

Using other people's palettes

You do not have to build a palette from scratch. The project points to a community color collection on Google Drive and a community-driven theme library on GitHub, both of which are open to contributions. Importing an existing palette is the fastest way to get a coherent result, and then you can adjust individual colors to taste. If you design something you like, adding it back to the community library is the natural next step.

Who this suits

This is aimed at regular Lichess users who find the default interface dated and want it to feel more contemporary without leaving the platform. It is a visual and usability layer, not a chess engine or analysis tool — free analysis, studies, and tournaments still come from Lichess itself. If you only want a dark mode and nothing more, a full palette editor may be more control than you need. If you care about matching a specific look, or you want the same colors across several devices, the import/export support is the feature that matters most.

For broader context on the platform being restyled, see Lichess.

Are there community-made themes available for Prettier Lichess?

Yes. Prettier Lichess points to a community-driven theme library on GitHub, plus a Google Drive folder of shared colour palettes. The extension is built around full control of the site's colour palette, and it supports importing and exporting palettes, so a theme someone else made can be loaded rather than recreated by hand.

Who this suits

• Tinkerers: people who want to recolour Lichess board, background and interface colours rather than accept one fixed look.
• Non-designers: players who just want a ready-made scheme and would rather import a shared palette than build one from scratch.
• Theme makers: users who enjoy designing a palette and contributing it back to the community library.

Practical trade-offs

The main caveat comes from the project itself: it is under constant development and Lichess keeps changing, so some page elements may not be styled correctly. A community theme may therefore look right in most places but imperfect in a few.

Next step

Install the extension in your browser, then open the theme library and import one palette that matches your taste. If a specific element still looks unstyled, report it rather than assuming the theme is broken — that is the expected workflow for a project in active development. If you want a broader sense of how Lichess itself works before customising it, see Lichess.

What should I do if some parts of Lichess aren't styled correctly by the extension?

Report the unstyled element to the extension's issue tracker, and in the meantime switch the theme off for that page or fall back to Lichess's own default look. Prettier Lichess is a browser extension that restyles lichess.org and lets you control the full color palette, but its own page notes it is under constant development while Lichess keeps changing and adding features, so some elements may not be styled correctly even though most areas work.

What to include in a bug report

• The exact page or feature: a study, tournament page, analysis board, puzzle screen, or profile.
• What you expected versus what you saw — for example, a panel that stays white against your dark palette, or text that becomes unreadable.
• Your browser and extension version, plus the theme or palette you had active.
• A screenshot, since styling problems are usually visual and hard to describe in words.
• Whether it happens with a default palette too, which tells the developer whether the issue is in the theme or the base styling.

What you can do while waiting

A concrete example

Suppose you play a tournament and the pairings table loses its row borders under your custom dark palette, making standings hard to scan. Take a screenshot of that table, note your browser and active palette, and file it as a styling bug. Then, for the rest of the tournament, either switch to a palette with clearer contrast or disable the extension so you can read the standings accurately.

As a general rule, treat visual glitches as cosmetic and report them, but treat unreadable text or hidden controls as reasons to disable the extension until a fix arrives. If you want a second opinion on whether a quirk comes from Lichess itself rather than the extension, compare against a plain browser profile with no extensions on Lichess.

Is Prettier Lichess free to use?

Yes. Prettier Lichess is free to use. The extension is described as an attempt to make lichess.org look more contemporary and easier to use, and it is distributed through the Chrome Web Store and the Firefox Add-On Store. No pricing information appears on the page.

What "free" means here

• You do not pay to install or use the extension.
• It does not replace Lichess or lock features behind a subscription; it changes the site's appearance and gives you control over the color palette.
• You can import and export color palettes, and the project points to community theme sources for sharing designs.

A practical next step

If you already use Lichess and the default look is the main thing putting you off, install the extension and start with a single change: adjust the color palette rather than trying to restyle everything at once. Keep a copy of your exported palette so you can restore it after the extension or Lichess updates.

One trade-off to expect: the page notes the extension is under constant development and Lichess itself keeps changing, so some elements may not be styled correctly. That is a cosmetic risk, not a cost. If you want a second opinion on the base platform before installing, see Lichess.