How to Blog on Chess.com📝
Whether you are a Grandmaster looking to share deep theoretical analysis or a casual player wanting to document your journey from 800 to 1200, blogging on Chess.com is one of the best ways to engage with the global chess community. With millions of active members, the platform provides a built-in audience eager for tips, game reviews, and personal stories. Writing a blog not only helps you crystallise your own understanding of the game but also establishes your voice in the world’s largest chess social network.
Getting started is surprisingly simple, yet many players feel intimidated by the technical side of embedding games and formatting diagrams. You don't need to be a tech wizard to create professional-looking content; you need to know where the right buttons are hidden. In this guide, we’ll walk through the essential steps to launch your Chess.com blog, from setting up your first post to using the specialised board editor that makes your games interactive for your readers.
1. Finding Your Blog Dashboard
Every Chess.com account comes with a blog automatically. To find yours:
🖥️ Desktop: Hover over the Community icon (the group of people) in the left-side menu and click on Blogs.
➕ The "Create" Button: On the right-hand sidebar of the Blogs page, you will see a button labeled Create Post. This is your gateway to the editor.
2. Master the Diagram Editor
The "secret sauce" of a great chess blog is the interactive board. Don't just post a wall of text; show the moves!
• The Chessboard Icon: In the blog editor toolbar, click the small chessboard icon.
• Load Your Games: You can paste a PGN, enter a URL from one of your recent games, or even set up a custom position using a FEN.
• Interactive Puzzles: You can toggle the settings within the editor to turn a specific position into a "Puzzle" mode, forcing your readers to find the best move before they can see the rest of the game.
3. Optimising for "Top Blogger" Status
Chess.com has a "Top Blogger" program that grants you a special badge and features your posts on the homepage. To qualify, keep these standards in mind:
✅ High-Quality Thumbnails: Your main image should be at least 1280x720 pixels. Clean, relevant images attract more clicks.
📓 The "Two-Paragraph" Rule: Always start with at least two short introductory paragraphs (just like this blog!) to hook your readers before diving into the moves.
📝 Relevant Content: Focus on educational or entertaining chess content. Purely promotional posts or "spam" will likely be ignored by the staff.
4. Structuring Your Content
A readable blog is a successful blog. Use the formatting toolkit to keep things organised:
• Headings: Use H2 or H3 tags to break your blog into sections (e.g., "The Opening," "The Critical Blunder," "Lessons Learned").
• Bullet Points: Use lists to summarise key takeaways.
• Captions: When you insert an image or a game, add a brief caption to explain why it's important.
Final Pro Tip:
Before you hit "Publish", use the Preview button. Check how your diagrams look on the page and ensure your move annotations are easy to follow. A little bit of polish goes a long way in building a loyal following!
