For generations, chess carried a quiet dignity. It was respected, studied, and admired, yet rarely felt modern or exciting.
Many players loved the game but struggled to find engaging online spaces. That changed when Chess.com entered the picture.
Today, Chess.com sits at the center of global chess culture.
Millions of players log in daily to play games, learn, analyze, and watch tournaments. For many players, chess now lives primarily online.
Behind this shift stands Erik Allebest.
He is neither a grandmaster nor a Silicon Valley showman.
He is a builder who understood chess players better than most executives.
Let’s look at how Erik Allebest turned chess into a billion-dollar business.
Chess Came Before Business
Before the business part was born, Erik was introduced to chess as a player.
His mother taught him the game at home, and what started as curiosity soon became a lasting fascination.
Chess followed him through school and into adulthood. However, he did not abandon it when life became busy.
Instead, the game became part of his identity.
This long relationship shaped his thinking.
Erik understood frustration, improvement, and obsession from personal experience.
Later, these insights influenced how he built Chess.com.
He eventually attended Brigham Young University, where he met Jay Severson, another passionate chess player.
Their shared frustration with online chess would serve as the fuel that lit the spark that became the light we know as Chess.com today.
At the time, online chess felt clunky and outdated.
Most platforms focused narrowly on playing games, and few offered learning tools or a welcoming community.
Erik and Jay believed chess deserved better. They wanted a platform built for players, not just games.
That belief became the foundation of Chess.com.
Turning An idea Into A Platform
In the mid-2000s, Erik and Jay acquired the Chess.com domain.
They relaunched the platform in 2007 with a clear mission: to build the best online home for chess players.
Early progress was slow, but it was intentional. Rather than a quick boom, the founders focused on stability, usability, and long-term value.
The Chess.com team avoided flashy features that lacked real purpose and listened carefully to user feedback.
Every update aimed to solve a specific player problem.
This approach quickly built trust in the chess community. Their product focused on retention and meaningful engagement.
For chess players, depth matters more than novelty, and this “product-first” mindset defined the company’s direction.
A Different Approach To Business
Erik Allebest did not follow the typical path of a tech startup. He did not immediately seek venture capital funding.
He believed the product should prove itself first, and that belief soon met reality.
Many investors did not understand chess as a business. Some saw it as a niche hobby with limited potential.
Erik’s team’s pitch meetings often ended with rejection.
Some investors questioned scalability and revenue possibilities. Others doubted players would pay for online chess tools.
These doubts forced difficult decisions.
Without external funding, growth would be slower and riskier. Yet Erik remained committed to the long game.
Rather than compromise, the team chose to bootstrap.
Chess.com would grow using its own revenue. That choice shaped everything that followed.
How Bootstrapping Changed The Company
Bootstrapping forced discipline from the start. Every expense required justification.
Every feature had to deliver real value.
Chess.com adopted a freemium model early. This meant players could join and play for free while advanced tools required paid subscriptions.
As a result, the structure respected players while sustaining the business.
Those who benefited most often chose to support the platform. Owing to this, revenue grew steadily rather than dramatically.
Without investor pressure, Chess.com avoided reckless decisions.
It did not overspend on marketing or chase vanity metrics, and the founders retained control over strategy and values.
Ironically, the investor rejection became a hidden advantage. The company grew patiently and sustainably.
And when opportunity arrived, Chess.com stood ready.
Building More Than A Playing Site
Chess.com never aimed to be just a game server. It wanted to support every stage of a player’s journey.
This vision, Erik’s vision, transformed the platform into an ecosystem.
- Players could play live games or correspondence games.
- They could analyze positions using strong engines.
- They could solve puzzles designed to sharpen tactical skills.
- Lessons helped beginners build foundations.
- Advanced players explored deep strategic concepts.
- Improvement became structured and measurable.
- Community features encouraged long-term engagement.
- Clubs, forums, and leaderboards created a shared identity.
- Players felt connected rather than isolated.
This ecosystem approach increased loyalty, and users spent more time on the platform.
As a reward for the good service, subscriptions followed naturally.
Integrity As A Competitive Advantage
Online chess faces one persistent threat: Cheating. Cheating undermines trust and destroys communities.
Erik understood this risk early. Therefore, Chess.com invested heavily in fair play systems.
The company developed advanced cheat detection technology and enforced rules consistently across all levels.
These decisions were not always popular.
Some high-profile bans sparked public debate and criticism.
Some accused the platform of excessive enforcement. But despite the backlash, Chess.com maintained its standards.
Erik believed integrity mattered more than short-term approval.
This commitment distinguished Chess.com from other alternative sites.
The Pandemic And Perfect Preparation
In 2020, global lockdowns reshaped online behavior.
With the decline in play of Over-the-Board chess, players sought meaningful entertainment and mental challenge.
Online chess experienced a sudden resurgence.
Streaming platforms amplified chess content, and creators introduced the game to millions of new viewers.
Interest in online chess grew rapidly across demographics, and chess.com experienced unprecedented growth.
User registrations surged worldwide, and activity levels reached record highs.
Crucially, the platform handled the surge smoothly. Servers scaled without collapse, and the systems built years earlier proved resilient.
However this success was not accidental, it was the result of long preparation, and it finally paid off.
Making Chess Entertaining Again
Chess.com understood modern audiences.
People wanted more than silent games.
They wanted stories, personalities, and excitement.
The company invested heavily in content and partnered with streamers and commentators.
It produced high-quality online events.
Their tournament coverage was of the highest quality with immaculate commentary.
Viewers felt included rather than intimidated. This approach changed chess culture online.
Their fans became players. Players became long-term subscribers, and online chess felt alive again.
The Play Magnus Group Acquisition
In 2022, Chess.com made a decisive move. It acquired the Play Magnus Group. This acquisition reshaped the chess industry.
The deal included Chessable and chess24. It also included the Champions Chess Tour.
Major chess brands were now unified under one organization, and more importantly, they have the most powerful personal brand in their corner, Magnus Carlsen.
This was a masterstroke by Chess.com as the move reduced fragmentation across platforms.
Education, events, and play became interconnected. This resulted in players benefiting from the seamless integration.
For Erik, the acquisition reflected years of careful growth.
Chess.com had finally consolidated its position as the number one name in online chess.
The Numbers Behind The Success
Chess.com’s growth is measurable and documented.
As of 2025, the platform reported over 200 million registered users.
Millions of games are played daily, and the annual revenue reportedly exceeds $100 million.
Industry estimates place the company’s valuations in the billion-dollar range. These numbers reflect real engagement.
It is important to note that this scale emerged without early venture funding, a fact that remains rare in modern technology.
The Real X-factor Behind Erik Allebest
Many factors contributed to Chess.com’s success.
One stands above the rest. It was the fact that Erik understood chess players deeply.
He built products he personally wanted to use, and that empathy created authenticity.
Players felt respected rather than exploited. He also embraced long-term thinking. Few competitors matched that patience.
Finally, discipline shaped every decision.
Bootstrapping enforced clarity and restraint. In turn, that restraint built resilience.
Together, these qualities formed his true advantage.
Leadership Shaped By The Game
Erik leads like a chess player.
He values preparation over impulsive moves. He thinks several steps ahead.
Unlike other companies that rose at their inception, Chess.com adopted remote work early and hired talent globally.
This approach reduced costs and increased diversity.
The company’s culture emphasizes learning and improvement, which is a culture that mirrors chess itself.
Competition Existed, Preparation Prevailed
Chess.com never lacked competitors. Some focused on free play. Others specialized in education or elite events.
But Chess.com combined everything into one platform. Therefore, when global interest surged, it already had scale.
Lessons Beyond Chess
Erik Allebest’s journey offers clear lessons we call all learn from:
- Build value before chasing investors.
- Let revenue follow usefulness.
- Protect trust fiercely.
- Be patient when others rush.
- Chess.com proves niche markets can become massive. They require respect and long-term thinking.
Final Thoughts
Erik Allebest did not reinvent chess. He respected its depth and traditions.
He modernized it with care and patience. By doing so, he built a billion-dollar business.
Not through hype or shortcuts but through understanding players and playing the long game.
Just like chess itself.
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