State Of Chess.com Ushers In New EWC Era

If you missed the State Of Chess.com broadcast on September 2, it's not too late to get up to speed on everything that's new around the site this month, including information about the 2026 Esports World Cup (EWC) after the smashing 2025 debut of chess at this year's EWC.

You will also find some topics in this community update that you didn't even know about from the State of Chess! Here's everything this update covers: 

• Events
• Product & Engineering
• Community
• Content
• Chessable
• ChessKid
• Fair Play
• Support

Events

• The 2026 Esports World Cup qualification cycle was announced, along with several changes to Titled Tuesday, all of which were discussed on the State of Chess.com.
• GM Ju Wenjun won her second consecutive Women's Speed Chess Championship on August 29.
• The Global Chess League and Collegiate Chess League are beginning new seasons. CCL registration closes September 18 and GCL registration on September 20, so don't miss your chance!
• GothamChess himself, IM Levy Rozman, is taking on The World beginning September 30. Register today!
• The FIDE Grand Swiss is underway to decide the next two players with a chance at the World Championship.
• The Chess.com Community Championships continued with GM Luca Moroni Jr. winning Spell Chess on August 15 and IM Nhat Minh To winning Duck Chess on September 5. 

Product & Engineering

• Get ready for a whole new meaning to the term chessboxing and entering the ring with our September Slugger bots.
• Several other product updates are coming and were discussed on the State of Chess.com, including Puzzles and Play Coach. More below!

If you are in tech and would like to join our team, we're hiring!

Community

• One of the most important Chess.com broadcasts of the year, the most recent State of Chess.com was hosted by our IM Danny Rensch on September 2. Over three-and-a-half hours, Danny discussed the changes to Titled Tuesday, product changes, answered your questions, and much more. If you missed it, read all about the State of Chess.com stream in our recap here, or watch it below:

• And don't miss the Judit Polgar Global Chess Festival on September 30. Official announcement soon on the role Chess.com will play this year!
• Also be on the lookout for a celebration of the return of the musical Chess to Broadway. Details to follow.
• To make the most of the ongoing Chess Improvement Challenge, join the club today and check out the club forum, too! Every month, we will recognize the top improvers and share improvement stories.

Content

• After GMs Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Hikaru Nakamura played against ChatGPT last month, this past month we saw GM Magnus Carlsen take on games against the AI. Check out the video below and the article here! The question isn't whether Magnus won, it's how much fun did he have?

• Carlsen was also one of several players who recently reminisced about their viral moments throughout the years. Take a trip through memory lane with Magnus, Ju Wenjun, GM Fabiano Caruana, and more.

• As the Improver campaign carries on, so do our articles that can help you take the next step in your chess. Stuck at your current rating? Read our article here about how to break through it. 

Chessable

• The Chessable app, now with in-app analysis and the ability to review entire folders at once, is better than ever. Download: iOS | Android
• And, of course, new courses will always be on the Chessable docket. Check out the latest from GM Sam Shankland about converting an extra pawn into a win, and GM Dariusz Swiercz's presentation of Zltonik's Middlegame Manual.

ChessKid

• With another school year underway, there are more ways than ever to use chess in education. Check out several activity ideas on ChessKid!
• With more than 125,000 followers, the ChessKid YouTube channel continues to grow, with multiple new videos every week! Here's one on surviving chess traps... even the ones you fall into!

Fair Play

Fair Play Stats for July

• 1,025,122 reports created
• 123,107 Fair Play closures (including 16 titled players: 3 IM, 4 FM, 6 CM, 1 WIM, 1 WCM, 1 NM)
• 3,800+ mute actions
• 3,600+ accounts muted
• 126,000+ abuse closures
• 48,454,217 rating points refunded

Support

• Median Time to First Human Response: 23 hours
• Users Helped: 25,585
• Average Quality by Member Rating: 93.7% (Highest Quality Score after AI implimentation!)
• Total Ratings: 4,492

Thank you for being part of the world's largest chess community. Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments below!

Missed any updates? Open the menu below for all past editions of the Community Update, or find last month's here.