Good point. I think it's the combo of competitive gameplay and casual tools like puzzles or lessons. I bounce between that and checking sites like https://stake.in/ for esports odds—both scratch that “strategic thinking” itch in different ways
Why Does Chess.com Still Reign Supreme?
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yeah plus chess doesn’t rely on flashy graphics its kind of timeless people can be 12 or 60 and still get hooked. also doesn’t hurt that streamers keep making it feel cool again
I started during lockdown and never really stopped. The speed games and tournaments keep it fresh. And it’s way less chaotic than most games out now 😂
I kinda do the same. Just following scores on slow nights, and sometimes placing random bets for fun. I like how low-effort it feels
Jul 23, 2025
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#6
Chess has infinite content, pure strategy games usually don’t.
Pure strategy meaning that there is no randomness or skill, just strategy.
Pure strategy meaning that there is no randomness or skill, just strategy.
Same. I ended up down a rabbit hole reading about the Stake founder https://techstory.in/kick-overtakes-twitch-in-spanish-speaking-market/ last night—wild how many niches like esports and chess actually overlap in user behavior.
Jul 28, 2025
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#8
Being a bit of a board game player also
1) It is easy to set up a chess game. Most other strategy board games take a long time to set up.
2) A lot of times, board games go out of print and can get really hard to find and get expensive. This does not happen with chess.
3) I don't know of any strategy board game outside of checkers and Go that can play with blitz time controls, which means many games can be played.
Serious question—why do you think chess.com still dominates while so many other strategy games come and go? I figured the hype would dip eventually but it hasn’t.