Lichess

If you ever run out of things to do, head to Lichess.org to cure your boredom. Lichess.org is an online platform where users can play chess against other players to develop a higher rating or just for fun through the Casual game mode. 

On Lichess, you can create or join a chess match and play a random opponent. You can select which mode of chess you want to play, as Lichess has many different creative chess games, which aren’t all the traditional way of chess. You can play Standard chess, along with Crazyhouse, King of the Hill, Chess960, Three-Check, Racing Kings, Antichess, Atomic, and Horde. 

In all of the different chess game modes that Lichess provides, you start with a rating of 1500 and as you win, it goes up, but when you lose, it decreases. If you beat an opponent of a higher rating, then your rating will increase by more, but if you lose to an opponent with a lower rating, it will also decrease by more. 

In the lobby, you can find chess games that others have created, and it will show the game information. For example, if it says 5+3, that means you start with 5 minutes and after every move, you get 3 extra seconds to your game clock. If one side runs out of time on the clock before the game is decided, the other player is victorious. 

You can also “follow” your friends on Lichess and invite them to matches, making you able to play chess with your friends. 

If you ever don’t know what to do, visit Lichess.org!

5 Best Online Libraries

From school to extra activities, we don’t always have time to stop by the library and pick up some good reads. Online libraries are always a great option so you can read anywhere, anytime. Here are 5 of the best online libraries!

1. Project Gutenburg

Project Gutenburg is an online library that has over 60,000 free eBooks. There is no fee required to join/use the books, but this eLibrary is used more for informational books rather than kids fiction novels. Next time you need an eBook for a school project, visit https://www.gutenberg.org/ !

2. Overdrive

Overdrive is a website that directs you to your local libraries’ online bookshelf. Although Overdrive is not available for every library, it is one of my personal favorite websites to help me find a huge variety of free eBooks and audiobooks. Click here https://www.overdrive.com/account/select-library to use Overdrive!

3. Barnes & Noble Free Kids eBooks

The Barnes & Noble free kids eBooks is an online library that only has children’s books. It is totally free, but an app download is required. This eLibrary is perfect for those who prefer reading their books on their phone rather than a computer, since not all computers are compatible with this app download. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/free-ebooks/nook-books/_/N-ry0Z8qa

4. Oxford Owl

Oxford Owl is an online library for beginner readers (ages 4-8) that is 100% free. A login is required, however, but this website can be used on your tablet or your phone. Oxford Owl has online books such as Incredible Animals, The Frog Prince, and Dolphin Rescue! https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page/

5. Bookshare

Bookshare is a great online library for all ages. This website requires a membership in order to read certain books, but has over 1 million titles to read, like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. The membership is only $1 a week, and if you are a serious online reader, I highly recommend looking into Bookshare. https://www.bookshare.org/cms/

-Anusha M.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Ranked Game Mode Review

Rainbow Six Siege is famously known for taking elite military forces and joining them together to compete against one another. The game is a first-person shooter, that allows players to compete in a five on five, simulation-based game mode. The player chooses from a wide variety of operators, each selected from the highest-ranking military task forces from around the world. Each team is either defending or attacking a certain objective. whether it be saving a hostage, defusing a bomb, or securing an area, each team must your strategy and teamwork to win the game.

I have been playing Rainbow Six Siege for a while now, and have gotten pretty good at the game. Due to the quarantine, my friends and I have decided to play the competitive playlist. This game mode is for the players that want a true challenge. Only the best of the best will compete in ranked games, and the amount of concentration is usually doubled in these games. The ranking system is very simple and easy to understand. You and your team will play ten ranked games, in each game going up against different teams with different skill levels. After you complete all of the placement matches, you and your team will be placed into a skill level, depending on how many kills, and wins, you got in the ten placement matches.

After playing the ten placement matches, the player can continue to play ranked games. This means that they will have a chance to get a higher rank then what they were placed in. But the player must be careful because if they lose too many games they could drop lower than what was given to them.

Overall, my Rainbow Six Siege ranked experience was fun, exciting, and frustrating all at the same time. I still enjoyed my time in the ranked game mode, and I am going to go back and play it as soon as aI can.

-Daniel C.