Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com, on the story of how we got the domain and why chess online started!

has completely changed the way chess is played globally today! He started by making the company's logo a Pawn, rather than a Queen or King, to attract new users by being inviting, as realized relatability was needed. He got the domain through persistence and clever maneuvering, which was significant to helping the platform gain early momentum as the hub. Erik focused on consistently growing and retaining the user base and decided a next stage would be to create a significant monetary prize competition, to further make Chess.com an elite competitive platform. He shares the years long process it took to build the community, the importance of having an online chess platform, how online has changed the industry, and what he aspires to accomplish next! Hope you enjoy this action packed episode!