Google Gemini API Key Setup

What you'll get

⚡

Flash: fast & cheap

$0.30 / 1M input tokens

🧠

Pro: advanced reasoning

$1.25 / 1M input tokens

💰

Pennies per month

Normal chess coaching: ~€0.01–0.15/month

Step-by-step guide

1

Go to Google AI Studio

Visit aistudio.google.com and click "Get Started".

2

Sign in with Google

Use any Google account (Gmail). If you don't have one, create one at accounts.google.com.

3

Accept Terms of Service

Read and accept Google AI Studio's Terms of Service to continue.

4

Navigate to API Keys

In the left sidebar, click on "API Keys", or go directly to aistudio.google.com/app/apikey.

5

Create API Key

Click "Create API Key". Select a Google Cloud project (one will be created automatically if you don't have any).

6

Copy your key

Copy the generated API key (starts with AIza...). Store it safely — you can always generate a new one if lost.

📋 Tip: Click the copy icon next to the key to copy it to your clipboard instantly.

7

Paste in CheesCoach

Open CheesCoach → Settings → AI section → Select "Gemini" → Configure → Paste your API key.

Pricing

🇪🇺 EU / EEA / UK / Switzerland: Google requires a billing account due to GDPR. Once billing is linked, all usage is pay-as-you-go — but for normal chess coaching the cost is just a few cents per month.

Model	Input	Output	~Cost per game
Gemini 2.5 Flash Recommended	$0.30 / 1M	$2.50 / 1M	~€0.01
Gemini 2.5 Pro	$1.25 / 1M	$10.00 / 1M	~€0.05

📈 Real-world example: Analyzing a 40-move game with Gemini 2.5 Flash costs approximately €0.01. A typical month of chess coaching (50–100 analyses) would cost €0.05–0.15.

🌐 Outside EU/EEA: Gemini offers a free tier (250 req/day for Flash, 100 for Pro) that does not require a billing account. If you are outside Europe, you can use Gemini at no cost.

EU / EEA users: Billing account required

⚠️ If you are in the European Union, EEA, UK, or Switzerland, Google requires a billing account to use the Gemini API. This is a GDPR restriction. Once billing is linked, all API usage is pay-as-you-go (the free tier does not apply). However, the cost for normal chess coaching is just a few cents per month.

1

Go to Google Cloud Billing

Visit console.cloud.google.com/billing and sign in with the same Google account you used for your API key.

2

Create a billing account

Click "Create account" or "Link a billing account". Enter your payment details (credit/debit card). All usage will be billed, but chess coaching typically costs less than €0.15/month.

3

Link to your project

Make sure the billing account is linked to the Google Cloud project that contains your API key. You can check this in Billing → My projects.

4

Set up a budget alert (recommended)

Go to Billing → Budgets & alerts → "Create budget". Set the amount to €1 with alerts at 50%, 90%, and 100%. This way you'll receive an email if any unexpected charges occur.

Tips

⏳ If you hit rate limits (error 429), just wait a minute and try again. The limit resets daily.

🇪🇺 EU/EEA users: With a billing account you get higher rate limits (2,000 RPM vs 10 RPM) and your data is not used for model training (GDPR compliant).

🌐 Non-EU users: The free tier (no billing needed) is permanent and does not expire. 250 req/day for Flash, 100 for Pro.

⭐ Gemini Flash is the most affordable option for chess coaching. Even with billing, a typical month costs less than a cup of coffee.