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Real-Time Streaming Improvements - From Polling to Instant Updates

· 2 min read
Thomas Mauran
Thomas Mauran
Maintainer

Published: January 8, 2026

We're excited to announce a major improvement to Chess TUI's Lichess integration: we've replaced the polling system with true real-time streaming, resulting in instant move updates and a much smoother playing experience.

The Problem We Had​

Previously, Chess TUI used a polling system that checked for game updates every 3 seconds. While this worked reliably, it introduced noticeable delays:

  • Up to 3 seconds delay before seeing your opponent's move
  • Small but noticeable lag in the demo videos
  • Unnecessary API requests every few seconds

The original implementation used polling because we observed delays in the Lichess streaming API. However, as pointed out in GitHub issue #188, the issue might have been on the client side rather than the API itself.

The Solution: True Real-Time Streaming​

We've completely refactored the Lichess integration to use streaming APIs properly:

Event Stream (/api/stream/event)​

  • Opens before creating a seek to ensure we don't miss game start events
  • Monitors for gameStart, gameFinish, and challenge events
  • Provides instant notification when a game begins

Game Stream (/api/board/game/stream/{gameId})​

  • Uses the authenticated /api/board/game/stream/{gameId} endpoint
  • Maintains a persistent connection throughout the game
  • Receives gameState events with moves as they happen
  • No polling, no delays - moves appear instantly

What This Means for You​

  • Faster gameplay: See moves instantly, especially important for blitz and rapid games
  • Smoother experience: No more noticeable delays or lag
  • Better performance: Fewer API requests means less server load
  • More reliable: Properly configured streams are more stable than polling

Looking Forward​

This change sets the foundation for future improvements:

  • Better support for faster time controls (bullet, blitz)
  • More responsive UI updates

Acknowledgments​

Special thanks to @niklasf (shakmaty creator) and @ornicar (lichess creator himself) for the detailed investigation and for pointing us in the right direction. The community feedback and technical analysis helped us identify and fix the root cause.

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