Chess.com State of Chess: New Film, Poker Expansion, and Platform Updates

Chess.com Reveals Grandmasters Film, Gambit Poker Launch, and Major Platform Updates

Chess.com’s Chief Chess Officer IM Danny Rensch hosted the latest State of Chess broadcast on Tuesday, bringing together updates spanning a major film production, a new gaming venture, and significant platform improvements. The show featured Liza Mandelup, executive producer and director of the upcoming film Grandmasters, and Albert Cheng, Chess.com’s Chief Growth Officer. The program also highlighted recent community achievements and introduced several new tools for players.

Grandmasters Film Brings Chess to the Mainstream

Mandelup shared insights into her two-year journey creating Grandmasters, which aims to introduce chess culture to audiences beyond the traditional chess community. As someone new to chess when starting the project, she found herself captivated by the opportunity to tell stories of elite players while making the game accessible to newcomers.

“I love the fact that I started this after chess had its digital revolution. You’ve all grown online, and my goal was bringing these online worlds to life,” Mandelup explained during the broadcast. She emphasized her desire to capture the emotional intensity of competitive chess and help outsiders understand the magnitude of achievements within the chess world.

One of Mandelup’s most surprising discoveries was the prominence and influence of grandmasters within their community. “I was shocked at how famous everybody was,” she said. While chess players may not have the name recognition of basketball or tennis stars, she discovered their importance becomes evident once you enter the chess ecosystem.

A key storyline in the film centers on Jan Henric Buettner’s Freestyle Chess initiative, which aligns with Mandelup’s own mission. “How can we make chess sexy? How can we make this cool to the masses?” she questioned, describing this convergence as art imitating life. She encouraged potential viewers by highlighting the film’s entertainment value: “I think you’ll be surprised by how funny it is and how much drama there is.”

IM Levy Rozman of GothamChess announced that the complete film will premiere on October 11 across the country. Rozman and Rensch plan to attend the premiere at the AMC Theater in Times Square, New York City.

Chess.com Expands to Poker with New Educational Platform

Cheng returned to State of Chess for the first time since March to discuss the company’s ambitious expansion beyond chess. He revealed the launch of Gambit.com, a free educational platform dedicated to poker. This venture represents Chess.com’s first major foray into a different game, constructed using the same technological foundation that powers Chess.com.

“I took our codebase, design system, and bot characters and used them as the starting point to build poker,” Cheng explained. The resemblance is intentional, providing users familiar with Chess.com’s interface an intuitive experience on the new platform.

A significant innovation Gambit.com brings to poker is a rating system designed to foster learning rather than exploit newcomers. Traditional poker platforms rely on business models where beginners lose money. Gambit.com instead creates what Cheng described as a safe learning environment.

The platform has already attracted over 75,000 players. A special broadcast hosted by Rensch and WFM Alexandra Botez on Monday introduced the Gambit Cup, a daily tournament on the website. Nearly 1,500 players participated in that inaugural event.

Cheng indicated Chess.com intends to expand into additional games in the future, though he joked about one notable exclusion: checkers. He encouraged the community to suggest other classic games worthy of development, emphasizing the company’s commitment to creating delightful gaming experiences.

Platform Enhancements and New Features

Chess.com announced several significant product improvements aimed at enhancing both learning and competitive play. The new daily puzzle feature now includes an improved sharing experience with a heart dynamic system, where errors or hints cost one heart. Completing puzzles without mistakes rewards players with five stars.

Monthly Bot Challenges represent another addition, allowing players to earn points that unlock exclusive chessboards, piece sets, and account flairs that remain permanent. Coach Mittens, Chess.com’s coaching tool, is now live with advanced analytics capabilities, helping players identify their most brilliant moves and areas requiring development.

For tournament enthusiasts, Live Ratings now displays players’ ratings as they update round-by-round during competitions, similar to the existing 2700chess.com feature. The Game Explorer received substantial improvements including enhanced game search functionality, native analysis for Android devices, and an updated game archive with favorites integration.

Chess.com also strengthened community safety through upgraded game chat protections. A new artificial intelligence model now filters over 750,000 messages monthly from 1.3 million total communications—an improvement of 150,000 over the previous system.

Competitive Integrity and Community Metrics

As part of fair play transparency, Chess.com reported that 13 titled players were closed in July. The majority of these actions occurred in pool play rather than prize events, demonstrating the platform’s commitment to maintaining competitive integrity across all formats.

Cheng noted that Chess.com currently processes over one billion games monthly, reflecting the platform’s massive scale and influence in the modern chess landscape. With these new tools and expansions, Chess.com continues strengthening its position as a leading destination for chess players and gaming enthusiasts worldwide.