Simul: one against many

In a simul one player, often a grandmaster or the strongest player in the club, takes on many opponents at once. The tables stand in a ring or in long rows, and the master walks around the inside, making one move at a time on each board.

How it works

The master usually plays White and makes the first move on every board. Then the rounds begin. While the master is at the other boards you have time to think. When the master comes back to your board you should make your move straight away, and the master replies and moves on. After a while some games are over, and the rounds go faster.

• Be ready. Have your move worked out when the master reaches your board.
• Don't move early. Make your move only when the master is standing at your board.
• Be bold. The master has many games to keep track of. A sharp move can be harder to answer than a cautious one.

When the master loses

It isn't unusual for the master to win every game, but sometimes a board ends in a draw or a loss. In 1925 the fourteen-year-old Mikhail Botvinnik beat José Raúl Capablanca, then world champion, in a simul. Thirteen years later he beat him again, in one of the most famous games on the site: Botvinnik–Capablanca 1938. And Nigel Short was only ten when he beat Viktor Korchnoi in a simul.

A simul on LaviChess

Here you can be the master yourself. In simul you play White on several boards at once against our computer opponents. If you are really brave you can try a simul without seeing the boards; see blindfold chess.

Updated November 14, 2026