r/Chess

Community Overview
r/Chess logo
reddit.com/r/chess/
Go to community
→

About r/Chess

All about the game of chess, including discussions on professional tournaments, game analysis and theory. If you are new to the game, check out /r/chessbeginners and before posting here please read our rules: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/wiki/index.

The community at a glance

r/Chess is a Subreddit for Professional Sports Fans and Chess Fans with roughly 1.8M members. It uses a forum format for communication. On the Hive Index it ranks #9 in the Chess communities list.

Roughly 110K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Chess, Worst, and Hate. Common discussion themes are Advice Requests and Solution Requests. Product recommendations often mention chess book and opening.

On Reddit
1.8M Members

Community Topics

Community Features

Forum

This community has a forum

Subreddit Analysis

via GummySearch
Yearly: +110K members
Growth: +6.4% / year

Member growth over time

All time (yearly)

  • 2013: 11K members
  • 2014: 11K members
  • 2015: 9K members
  • 2016: 19K members
  • 2017: 20K members
  • 2020: 199K members
  • 2021: 152K members
  • 2022: 142K members
  • 2023: 326K members
  • 2024: 636K members
  • 2025: 223K members
  • 2026: 68K members

Past year (monthly)

  • Aug: 5K members
  • Sep: 3K members
  • Oct: 8K members
  • Nov: 11K members
  • Dec: 10K members
  • Jan: 13K members
  • Feb: 9K members
  • Mar: 9K members
  • Apr: 13K members
  • May: 11K members
  • Jun: 10K members
  • Jul: 3K members

Themes

  • Advice Requests
    5 posts in the past month
    1. My defensive abilities are poor, how do I improve?
    2. To all the chess coaches who make a living of it, how do you do it?
    3. Managed to Reach 1000 elo in 2 years. Hoping to get to 1500 in the next 2-4 years. I think I've done well considering I've had to battle from the 200 elo ranges to get up to nearly 1000-1100 in 3 different time formats. Any advice or tips for improving from this level ?
    #1
    Advice Requests
    My defensive abilities are poor, how do I improve? · To all the chess coaches who make a living of it, how do you do it? · Managed to Reach 1000 elo in 2 years. Hoping to get to 1500 in the next 2-4 years. I think I've done well considering I've had to battle from the 200 elo ranges to get up to nearly 1000-1100 in 3 different time formats. Any advice or tips for improving from this level ?
    5
  • Solution Requests
    4 posts in the past month
    1. I made a free Chrome extension that reviews your online chess games. Kind of like Chess.com’s Game Review, but free and fully open source
    2. Looking to buy a luxury chess set as a gift
    3. I made a free tool to practice chess openings
    #2
    Solution Requests
    I made a free Chrome extension that reviews your online chess games. Kind of like Chess.com’s Game Review, but free and fully open source · Looking to buy a luxury chess set as a gift · I made a free tool to practice chess openings
    4
  • Pain & Anger
    3 posts in the past month
    1. Is it possible to become really bad at chess in a short span of time? Worried about mental health
    2. Do you regularly experience brainfog or fatigue in regards to chess?
    3. Guys, I am so pissed, kept on making mistakes.
    #3
    Pain & Anger
    Is it possible to become really bad at chess in a short span of time? Worried about mental health · Do you regularly experience brainfog or fatigue in regards to chess? · Guys, I am so pissed, kept on making mistakes.
    3

Topics

  • Chess
    53 posts in the past month
    #1
    Chess
    53
  • Worst
    21 posts in the past month
    #2
    Worst
    21
  • Hate
    9 posts in the past month
    #3
    Hate
    9
  • Time
    8 posts in the past month
    #4
    Time
    8
  • Struggling
    8 posts in the past month
    #5
    Struggling
    8

Flair

  • Miscellaneous
    47 posts in the past month
    1. I'm still having a hard time accepting Danya is never coming back
    2. Picture with Javokhir
    3. India's 96th grandmaster
    #1
    Miscellaneous
    I'm still having a hard time accepting Danya is never coming back · Picture with Javokhir · India's 96th grandmaster
    47
  • News/Events
    40 posts in the past month
    1. Nihal Sarin beats Alireza Firouzja to win Bullet Chess Championship 2026. At one point he was on a 15-game winning streak.
    2. "No chance" - Nihal Sarin on being asked whether he thinks he's the best Bullet player right now
    3. Alireza Firouzja edges Arjun Erigaisi to win 13-11 - WHAT A THRILLER!
    #2
    News/Events
    Nihal Sarin beats Alireza Firouzja to win Bullet Chess Championship 2026. At one point he was on a 15-game winning streak. · "No chance" - Nihal Sarin on being asked whether he thinks he's the best Bullet player right now · Alireza Firouzja edges Arjun Erigaisi to win 13-11 - WHAT A THRILLER!
    40
  • Chess Question
    27 posts in the past month
    1. Do 'winning' positions exist that don't win because of the 50 move rule? (And why is '50' the number?)
    2. Please explain how there can be chess "styles" of play?
    3. In professional chess, what is the largest evaluation disadvantage a player may opt for just to take someone out of theory?
    #3
    Chess Question
    Do 'winning' positions exist that don't win because of the 50 move rule? (And why is '50' the number?) · Please explain how there can be chess "styles" of play? · In professional chess, what is the largest evaluation disadvantage a player may opt for just to take someone out of theory?
    27
  • Puzzle/Tactic
    26 posts in the past month
    1. It finally happened…
    2. Call an ambulance
    3. Found with 10sec left in 1+0. What do you do?
    #4
    Puzzle/Tactic
    It finally happened… · Call an ambulance · Found with 10sec left in 1+0. What do you do?
    26
  • Game Analysis/Study
    12 posts in the past month
    1. This is the longest move name I’ve seen in my opinion.
    2. I made a free Chrome extension that reviews your online chess games. Kind of like Chess.com’s Game Review, but free and fully open source
    3. What in Gods Green Earth is my opponent doing.
    #5
    Game Analysis/Study
    This is the longest move name I’ve seen in my opinion. · I made a free Chrome extension that reviews your online chess games. Kind of like Chess.com’s Game Review, but free and fully open source · What in Gods Green Earth is my opponent doing.
    12

Product recommendations

  • chess book
    20 posts in the past month
    1. What is the single best chess book you have read and why?
    2. Best books and openings for a beginner
    3. Best chess book lineup?
    #1
    chess book
    What is the single best chess book you have read and why? · Best books and openings for a beginner · Best chess book lineup?
    20
  • opening
    8 posts in the past month
    1. If I don't have access to chessable courses, what are the best alternatives for learning my openings better?
    2. Hi guys I'm newbie of chess I know the basics can you recommend a chess book opening where I can learn I want to learn every opening especially sicillian
    3. Guys can you recommend a chess book where I can learn opening like Sicilian,caro kann,kings indian,and ruy Lopez btw I comfortable with basics
    #2
    opening
    If I don't have access to chessable courses, what are the best alternatives for learning my openings better? · Hi guys I'm newbie of chess I know the basics can you recommend a chess book opening where I can learn I want to learn every opening especially sicillian · Guys can you recommend a chess book where I can learn opening like Sicilian,caro kann,kings indian,and ruy Lopez btw I comfortable with basics
    8
View full analysis on GummySearchSynced 7/1/2026

Frequently asked questions

Who is r/Chess for?
Best for Professional Sports Fans and Chess Fans enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
Is r/Chess free to join?
This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
How many members does r/Chess have?
Roughly 1.8M members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
What platform is r/Chess on?
r/Chess runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
What topics does r/Chess cover?
On the Hive Index, r/Chess is organized under Professional Sports Fans, Chess Fans.
How do I join r/Chess?
You can join r/Chess by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
What are the Professional Sports communities like?
The largest sports category on the site, covering betting, fan discussion, and athlete coverage across major leagues. Discord dominates with sports betting communities and pick sharing servers alongside official fan communities, while Reddit hosts team-specific subreddits for virtually every professional franchise.
Go to communitySuggest an editReport communityClaim community

Added 8/5/2023

Monthly Stats

11
Views /mo
(+38%)
11
Visitors /mo
(+38%)
1
Referrals /mo
(0%)

Similar Communities

12
reddit.com/r/chess/
Go to community
→