Chess.com, the popular online chess platform, has surpassed 200 million members, with 1.5 million of them being paying users. This milestone comes as the company approaches its 20th birthday, having been founded in 2005 and launched in 2007. The platform has seen remarkable growth, with over 6 million games of chess played every day.

According to Albert Cheng, Chief Growth Officer at Chess.com, the game's durability and timelessness have contributed to the platform's success. "It's been played for over 1,500 years, which is just amazing. And even Chess.com is not a brand new company. It's been around for almost 20 years. It feels really dynamic," Cheng told TechCrunch. The company has expanded significantly since its early days as an online forum for in-person chess players to discuss their matches.

Today, Chess.com offers a wide range of features, including full chess matches against other people or bots, daily games and puzzles, news about the chess world, and the ability to stream chess competitions. Cheng credits the company's continued product innovation as a key factor in its growth. For example, the company released an AI-powered game review feature in 2021, which uses artificial intelligence to summarize a player's performance and suggest potential improvements.

The feature has been particularly helpful for beginner players, who make up the majority of new users on the platform. By providing personalized feedback and guidance, Chess.com aims to foster a love for the game among its new members. The company has also benefited from the increased interest in chess over the past few years, which has been fueled by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and popular media like Netflix's "The Queen's Gambit" miniseries.

The chess world has seen a surge in popularity, with high-profile events like the cheating scandal involving five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen and the inclusion of competitive chess in the Esports World Cup for the first time this year. The game has also become increasingly global, with around 85% of new user registrations coming from outside the United States. The current grand master, Gukesh Dommaraju, hails from India, highlighting the game's growing international appeal.

Cheng, who previously led product, growth, and monetization at Grammarly and Duolingo, is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. He believes that the company can continue to grow the game by leveraging organic interest in adjacent communities, such as esports and education. "I think the sky's the limit here, and the more that we can continue to grow the game by leveraging that organic interest that already exists in these adjacent communities, we'd be foolish not to explore it," Cheng said.

As Chess.com looks to the future, it's clear that the company is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory. With its commitment to product innovation and its ability to tap into the growing global interest in chess, Chess.com is poised to remain a leading player in the online gaming space.