Why (and How) I Started Chess.com
I often get asked "Why did you start Chess.com?" And the followup, "How did you do it?" Let me start by saying that "I" didn't do it alone. I did it alongside the most amazing team of passionate chess fans and developers and
I learned chess when I was eight years old. I didn't really pick it back up until I was a freshman in college (1995) and happened to be on the same floor as the chess club president - Jay - who later became the co-founder of Chess.com! We started working on it together in 2005, and launched in 2006. It's been an incredible ride ever since!
Below you can find several articles that talk about how Chess.com got started and how it all works today. Enjoy!
- Erik (CEO and Co-founder, Chess.com)
Building Chess.com: Part 1 - Getting Started
(You can find all of my early "Building Chess.com" blog posts here.)
How I got the Chess.com domain name
How we created the Chess.com logo
How our 100+ person team works together
[Please Note: Don't send me Tech Support, Abuse Reports, or other "Site" issues. Please contact Chess.com Support for those things. But I do love thank you notes and personal messages! Thank you!]
Yes, I am the guy who started Chess.com (along with Jay, Igor, Piotr, and many others). I have 3 amazing daughters, one wild son, and a wonderful, patient wife! I learned chess when I was 8 years old. Since then I have been playing, studying, and enjoying it regularly. I prefer semi-open and closed positions that blow up tactically (like the Closed Sicilian, King's Indian, Glek etc).
Want to know more about how Chess.com got started? Read about it here!