Technology
Chess.com expands beyond its domain with poker platform and plans for more games
After nearly two decades focused on chess, the online gaming platform is launching companion sites for poker and other classic games using AI to accelerate development.
The Verge
Chess.com is venturing beyond the 64 squares for the first time in its history. The platform, which has dominated online chess for close to 20 years, quietly opened Gambit, a free poker learning site, in beta this May. Now it's preparing to go mainstream with live events and creator partnerships, while signaling plans to enter markets for go, backgammon, and mahjong.
A Poker Platform Built on Chess's Formula#
Gambit mirrors much of what made Chess.com successful. The site features the same design language and familiar play modes—bot matches, friend games, tournaments, and a structured learning system. Players can review past hands and study strategy without ever spending real money, a deliberate choice by the company's leadership.
"Real money is the problem we built Gambit to get away from, the whole industry makes money when beginners lose," said Albert Cheng, Chess.com's chief growth officer. The company instead relies on competitive motivation through its own rating system, borrowed from chess's Elo model, which rewards improvement and drives long-term engagement.
How Rating Systems Fuel Growth#
The rating system serves a dual purpose. First, it gives players a measurable goal tied to skill, compensating for the absence of financial stakes. Second, it underpins a subscription model—the same one that sustains Chess.com—where paying users unlock advanced analysis tools, unlimited puzzles, and premium lessons.
The strategy has worked for chess. Most players access Chess.com for free, but enough subscribe for premium features to create a sustainable business.
Why AI Unlocked Expansion#
For nearly two decades, Chess.com stayed in its lane. What changed was technology. Cheng and just one other employee built Gambit from concept to launch in roughly a year, with AI handling much of the coding work. "The biggest advantage that it's provided is essentially being able to read our existing codebase and design system and apply consistent patterns," Cheng explained.
This efficiency meant Chess.com could branch out without requiring a larger headcount or disrupting core operations. However, Cheng was clear that AI has limits: brand strategy and feature design remain human domains. The live version of Gambit contains "zero or close to zero" AI-generated assets, using the technology mainly to accelerate development, not replace creative judgment.
