Chess.com Takes New Investment From CVC Capital Partners
Thu, 25 Jun 2026
Chess.com confirmed a new investment from CVC Capital Partners IX, with General Atlantic remaining a shareholder; financial terms were not disclosed.
Chess.com confirmed on June 25 that it has taken a new investment from CVC Capital Partners IX. General Atlantic, an existing investor, remains a shareholder. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.The platform, founded in 2005 and based in Orem, Utah, reports more than 250 million registered members and roughly 10 million daily active users — figures that make it by far the largest destination for online chess. Its most recent funding round prior to this investment was a corporate minority round in December 2023.The deal comes as Chess.com has expanded well beyond its original online-play business, taking on a broadcast and promotional role across the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour and other major events, and increasingly positioning itself as a media company as much as a platform operator.CVC Capital Partners is one of the largest private equity firms in Europe, with a portfolio spanning sports, media, and consumer businesses; its investment adds to a broader pattern of institutional capital moving into competitive chess and its surrounding media ecosystem over the past two years.Chess.com has not indicated any changes to its consumer-facing products as a result of the investment, and executives have framed the deal as primarily aimed at supporting the platform's continued growth rather than signaling a near-term change in strategy.