Community first
Chess is better when it is shared. We build for respectful, welcoming rooms where a new player can walk in without knowing anyone.
About us
We started ChessConnect because finding a real game was too hard
Chess online has never been easier. Chess across a real board, with people in your own city, is still a matter of luck and word of mouth. We are trying to fix that.
Our story
ChessConnect was created by two cofounders — cousins — who share a deep passion for chess and a belief that the game is more than competition. It is a way to connect people across skill levels, backgrounds and cultures.
The idea was born more than ten years ago on a backpacking trip through Laos. Armed with a travel chess set and a FIDE rating around 1800, one of our cofounders struggled to find opponents — let alone organized tournaments or clubs. That turned into a simple question: what if an app connected chess players through the events and clubs that already exist around them?
That question eventually became ChessConnect. We built it to make finding a meaningful game, discovering local clubs and improving together something you can do in a few taps, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned tournament player.
Our mission
To connect chess players around the world through meaningful games, events and community.
We believe chess should be accessible, social and rewarding — never intimidating or isolating.
What we stand for
Our values
Accessibility
Everyone should feel welcome at the board — first-time players and seasoned competitors alike.
Growth through play
Improvement comes from real games, real opponents and real feedback, not from a streak counter.
Integrity and fair play
Chess teaches honesty, patience and discipline. Those principles guide the platform and the team behind it.
The team
Meet the cofounders
Adrian S.
Cofounder
An active tournament player with over ten years of competitive experience and a particular weakness for blitz. Adrian leads chess content, community and everything ChessConnect says out loud.
Nathan Inge
Cofounder
Nathan builds the platform and sets its technical direction, making sure ChessConnect delivers on its promise of connecting players wherever they are.
ChessConnect on Instagram
More chess, every day
Follow along for fresh chess content, tournament moments and daily updates from our community.
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Making headlines
ChessConnect elsewhere
Interviews, tournament reports and coverage from the chess community.
2. ChessConnect Rapid Open: When a Tournament Just Goes Smoothly
A commanding victory at the board — and a tournament that many other tournaments could learn a thing or two from.
EnglishIM Jakob Leon Pajeken · JLP Chess · September 2026Schachturniere mit dem Handy organisieren! ChessConnect
Chess Tigers on running a chess tournament from a phone, and what that changes for organisers.
GermanChess TigersWas ist CHESSCONNECT?
A long interview on where the idea came from, and on finding local chess meetups and clubs near you.
GermanSchachkickerErstes ChessConnect Rapid Open im Sierichs Biergarten
The first tournament organised through ChessConnect, played in Hamburg’s Stadtpark.
GermanSchachkickerDie neue Welt der Schach-Tools
Where ChessConnect sits among the new generation of tools built for chess players.
GermanSchachkickerSchachtreff — Eintauchen in die Welt des Schachs
A Hamburg chess community running its meetups, blitz nights and tournaments on ChessConnect.
GermanSchachtreff
Contact
Say hello
Questions, feedback, a club that wants to get set up, or a story worth telling — we read everything.