Chess.com has focused on a single pursuit with great success for nearly two decades, yet it is now moving past that core focus. The leading online chess platform quietly introduced its first related site in beta during May: Gambit, a free poker platform allowing users to practice without any financial risk. Gambit is now advancing with its initial livestreamed tournament and partnerships involving creators, while Chess.com prepares to add more classic games soon.

Chess.com growth officer Albert Cheng explained to The Verge that poker was selected first due to its shared emphasis on learning and social interaction alongside gameplay. He confirmed that Gambit will avoid any real-money elements, noting that such gambling creates issues the new site seeks to sidestep since the sector profits from novice losses. Instead, the goal is to foster genuine skill development.

Gambit mirrors the Chess.com interface closely and offers comparable options including matches against bots, play with friends, tournaments, game review tools, and instructional modes. It even reuses familiar bot personalities from the chess site, such as the entry-level Martin character now appearing at the same skill tier on the poker platform.

The team built a custom rating system similar to Elo for Gambit. Cheng noted this serves as the primary driver for player progress since lower financial stakes require an alternative incentive to maintain engagement and quality across games.

This rating framework underpins a paid subscription tier granting extra learning tools, modeled directly on the Chess.com approach. Most users access the site without cost, but subscribers gain full review access and additional lessons. Tracking improvement through ratings can encourage upgrades to premium options.

Rating systems form the core of upcoming projects as well. Chess.com is preparing entries for go, backgammon, and mahjong, each with its own Elo-style metrics. Cheng indicated rapid progress on these using the Gambit development approach, though specific launch dates remain undisclosed.

AI played a major role in enabling this broader expansion after so many years, Cheng said. He and a single colleague built Gambit from early concept to release in about a year, relying on AI mainly for coding support. This allowed quick adaptation of existing code and design patterns to a new setting without major disruption.

Cheng acknowledged AI limitations in areas like branding and feature planning, stressing the need for human oversight in the process. The current Gambit version contains little to no AI-generated elements, though prototypes used more. Without this assistance, additional sites would have demanded larger teams or slowed core chess growth.

Cheng highlighted a focus on games with lasting appeal and strong communities akin to chess. Following the Gambit launch, efforts now emphasize social features and creator involvement. The first Gambit Cup livestream is set for August 31 at 12PM ET on Twitch and YouTube, featuring Chess.com co-founder Danny Rensch alongside creator Alexandra Botez.