Because it's a business that needs to stay in business?

Don't they get a trial when they join up say something like 1 or 2 weeks free premium ? 

Why aren't designer cloths free as every fashionable cloth wearer is not able to pay?

Why aren't computers free as every computer user is not able to pay?

Why aren't cars free as every person who wants to drive is not able to pay?

Youtube is free and there are tons of chess videos out there.   The same applies to google searching good chess articles, so you really have other options.

Chess Mentor is a whole lot more efficient about lesson delivery. The key in paying for something is that somebody else is giving you all of that good stuff and are guaranteeing the quality as well.

Mani, pause for a second and ask yourself "have I given anything to the society for free that had a huge impact on large number of people?"

Count your blessings that at least basic membership at chess.com is free which tens of thousands are enjoying.

The question to ask is, "how come chess.com is free for the even the basic members?"

This is a very deep question.  Do you have any other questions?

Become a titled player and you can access all of the premium features for free!

Titled player means ?

NM is a title...national master

GM is a title...grand master

FM, IM, WGM

Like those.

Do you work for free?

because chess.com is a facade for hacker training.  you must hack into "chess" mentor to receive its benefits.  once there, you will receive instructions for your next assignment.  those "chess" ratings?  hacker ratings.

Hey Remember u work for ur family and Children only for free

 Are u asking them to repay back ?

Will u ?

Chess.com = hacker training ??? 

Lumberjack school = hacker training

 Wow... TOTALLY missing the point.

Mani - did you not pay any attention to any of the other posts? It seems as though you focused in on the one post that recommended you become a titled player (tongue-in-cheek I might add), rather than solicit meaningful advice from an entire community of chess afficionados.

Be thankful that there IS a forum where thousands, if not millions (someday, right?), of chess players can converge and work together for FREE!

See Chess.com for what CAN do for you; not for what you cannot access because you cannot afford it.

I am not a premium member, and I never will be. If you really think that using Chess Mentor is the end-all-be-all of chess learning, then you are in for a rude awakening anyway. No disrespect to Chess Mentor - I purchased it long ago, during the mid-1990's (when it was new), and it is a very good program... But I do not know of a single Grandmaster who has used Chess Mentor software exclusively to get from beginner to GM. There is much to be gained from simply being a part of the Chess.com community.

But I am sure this post, like others before it, will fall on blind eyes - the equivalent of deaf ears in the online posting community. Too bad...

You are standing in your own way, and until you realize that, you will forever be looking for handouts. Sorry to be so blunt, but that's the facts, Jack.

lol. Like Principal Skinner's mother insisting that he pay her back retroactively for the food he ate as a child.

Why don't you just go to the bookstore and start yanking stuff off the shelf because you can't afford it. Then go to the supermarket and start pulling stuff off the shelves because you can't afford it.

If anyone stops you, tell them that not every student can afford to pay and why are they being so unfair?

And I'm sure Eriks family does get chess mentor for free, but you ain't family.

The internet is funny.

I am sure the titled players who write those chess mentor courses must be paid something. and we pay the site to pay these instructors. for instance IM Silman has more puzzles here than in all his books together (and they are all the same good quality). If you ask me, chess mentor is a bargain in comparison to the number of books you need to own to have so many exercises. Well, it will only be a bargain if you are willing to work through the exercises of course.