Who owns chess.com?
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Who owns chess.com?
The lichess forum has some research on this.
https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess ... -investors
Turns out to be Pokerstars in part anyway. Perhaps we knew that already based on the sponsorships.
https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess ... -investors
Turns out to be Pokerstars in part anyway. Perhaps we knew that already based on the sponsorships.
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
And just to add an extra layer to the ownership onion, pokerstars is owned by flutter entertainment, formerly Betfair but since they bought up paddy power, skybet, pokerstars and I'm sure more still they created a new conglomerate that is equally as murky and layered as the chess.com ownership structure seems to be.
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
Are chess24 and New In Chess part of this too, or is that a separate financial mess?
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter
Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com
Historian and FIDE Arbiter
Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
chess24, New in Chess and chessable were all owned by the Play Magnus Group which has accepted a takeover offer from chess.com.Tim Harding wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 9:59 amAre chess24 and New In Chess part of this too, or is that a separate financial mess?
Play Magnus Group is a company quoted on the Norwegian stock exchange, so presumbly had a multitude of shareholders.
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
Hmm, what does that mean for Chess24's live coverageRoger de Coverly wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 10:15 amchess24, New in Chess and chessable were all owned by the Play Magnus Group which has accepted a takeover offer from chess.com.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."
lostontime.blogspot.com
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."
lostontime.blogspot.com
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
The chessbomb site was taken over by chess.com and its coverage redirected back to chess.com.
lichess is constituted as a French charitable foundation, so could not be on chess.com's shopping list. I wonder what is next, would Agon or Malcolm's Chess & Bridge be takeover candidates?
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
Don't forget that nxt.chessbomb.com still works. When that goes, it's probably the end of my watching elite chess.Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:26 amThe chessbomb site was taken over by chess.com and its coverage redirected back to chess.com.
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a QR code stamped on a human face — forever.
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
Well yes, hence my question, or perhaps better put, my concern.Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:26 amThe chessbomb site was taken over by chess.com and its coverage redirected back to chess.com.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."
lostontime.blogspot.com
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."
lostontime.blogspot.com
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
The 'Play Magnus Group' was mentioned. Hans was at one time one of their ambassadors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvCpE22z4bI
He is at the Carlsen - Nepo final celebrating reaching 2645.2 and '...my computer is broken.'
What a difference seeing him then and now and how the effect of this whole mess v Carlsen is taking it's toll.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvCpE22z4bI
He is at the Carlsen - Nepo final celebrating reaching 2645.2 and '...my computer is broken.'
What a difference seeing him then and now and how the effect of this whole mess v Carlsen is taking it's toll.
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
And is Chessable part of this monopolistic conglomerate too?Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 10:15 amchess24, New in Chess and chessable were all owned by the Play Magnus Group which has accepted a takeover offer from chess.com.Tim Harding wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 9:59 amAre chess24 and New In Chess part of this too, or is that a separate financial mess?
Play Magnus Group is a company quoted on the Norwegian stock exchange, so presumbly had a multitude of shareholders.
Tim Harding
Historian and FIDE Arbiter
Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com
Historian and FIDE Arbiter
Author of 'Steinitz in London,' British Chess Literature to 1914', 'Joseph Henry Blackburne: A Chess Biography', and 'Eminent Victorian Chess Players'
http://www.chessmail.com
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
Chessable has been part of Play Magnus for the last three years.Tim Harding wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 3:17 pmAnd is Chessable part of this monopolistic conglomerate too?
https://www.chessable.com/blog/chessabl ... s-chess24/
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
I don't worry too much about a chess.com monopoly, because barriers to entering the market do not seem high.
If they only offer commentary for the mass market, which is not for me, then the Jan/ Peter or Tania/ Peter type of commentary I enjoy will pop up elsewhere.
If they only offer commentary for the mass market, which is not for me, then the Jan/ Peter or Tania/ Peter type of commentary I enjoy will pop up elsewhere.
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
That may be true, but the rewards are probably quite small, meaning new entrants are likely to be few and far between. I hope you are right though.Paul Cooksey wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 8:22 amI don't worry too much about a chess.com monopoly, because barriers to entering the market do not seem high.
If they only offer commentary for the mass market, which is not for me, then the Jan/ Peter or Tania/ Peter type of commentary I enjoy will pop up elsewhere.
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
Well, I'm not in favour of a monopoly of this kind because it creates a centre of unaccountable power which can be used (for example) to trash the career of a chess player who is suspected of cheating without any real (OTB) evidence.Paul Cooksey wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 8:22 amI don't worry too much about a chess.com monopoly, because barriers to entering the market do not seem high.
If they only offer commentary for the mass market, which is not for me, then the Jan/ Peter or Tania/ Peter type of commentary I enjoy will pop up elsewhere.
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Re: Who owns chess.com?
Worse then their treatment of grandmasters is the fact their whole business model seems to be geared more and more towards the lowest common denominator member - if you ever play an arena tournament, for example, the pairings are done entirely on who has the closest rating matches not actual tournament points so are invariably won by cheats who have sandbagged their ratings to ridiculously low numbers then carve a path of destruction through everyone else in nearby rating brackets.
Lose one queen and it is a disaster, Lose 1000 queens and it is just a statistic.