Chess.com
Chess.com is an internet chess server, where people can go and play chess online.[1] The site is the largest online chess platform in the world. The site has a freemium model, meaning that some features are free, but a paid subscription is required to access more features, such as unlimited puzzles or unlimited game review. Users can go and play time controls such as bullet, blitz, rapid, and more.
On December 16, 2022, Chess.com stated that they reached 100 million users.[2] As of April 2023, it had 11 million daily active users. They have online tournaments hosted there including Titled Tuesdays, the Speed Chess Championships, and computer vs. computer events.
History
[change | change source]Founding
[change | change source]The domain of chess.com was registered in 1995. The company that registered the domain was called Aficionado. They were headquartered in Berkley, California as a way to sell a chess tutoring app called Chess Mentor.[3]The domain name was later bought out in 2005 by two people. Their names were Jay Severson and Erik Allebest.[4]The site was relaunched in 2007.
Growth
[change | change source]
Chess.com said that over a billion live games have been played in 2014. This included 100 million correspondence games at the same time.[5] In 2016, they did an overhaul of their UI. This includes the introduction of game analysis, where users can analyze their games for mistakes. They also included chess variants like king-of-the-hill, crazyhouse, and bughouse.[6]
They also acquired the chess engine Komodo in May 2018. That also includes the licensing rights to broadcast the World Chess Championship 2021 on Twitch.[7]
Subsidiaries
[change | change source]ChessKid.com
[change | change source]ChessKid.com is a subsidiary for children who are under the age requirement to join chess.com.[8] They have a tournament called CONIC, which stands for the ChessKid Online National Invitational Championship, which is hosted every year since 2012. They are recognized by the United States Chess Federation.[9]
Play Magnus Group
[change | change source]The Play Magnus Group accepted a deal to be bought out by chess.com. They were acquired at a value of $800 million krone (Norwegian dollars), or $80 million USD. The Play Magnus Group owned their own brands before the merger. This included the chess server chess24, the mobile app Play Magnus, and the chess improvement website of Chessable, and more. The merger was officially made on December 16, 2022.[10]
- ↑ Contributor (2007-07-08). "Chess.com: A Social Networking Site For...Well You Can Probably Guess". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ Team (CHESScom), Chess com (2022-12-15). "Chess.com Reaches 100 Million Members". Chess.com. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
- ↑ "Chess Mentor by Aficionado". web.archive.org. 1997-07-10. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ Team (CHESScom), Chess com (2023-12-01). "Who is the CEO of Chess.com?". Chess.com. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ Pete (Pete) (2014-12-15). "Chess.com: 1 Billion Games Served". Chess.com. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ Chess.com (News) (2016-01-21). "Introducing The New Chess.com (Version 3)". Chess.com. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ "Chess.com acquires broadcast rights for 2021 FIDE World Championship". The Times of India. 2020-11-18. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ "What is ChessKid? - The #1 Chess Site for Kids". ChessKid.com. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ "The United States Chess Federation - Nation's Top Chess Kids to Battle in Online Invitational". www.uschess.org. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
- ↑ Team (CHESScom), Chess com (2022-12-21). "Chess.com Officially Acquires Play Magnus, Carlsen Signs As Ambassador". Chess.com. Retrieved 2025-05-21.