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Is chess.com a Scam? Security Check Results - Chess Reviews

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Is chess.com Safe? Security Analysis for Chess

Check if chess.com is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

TechnologyN/alarge
JavaScriptVue.jsWebAssemblyStockfish chess engineCloudflare Turnstile captcha+3 more
Analyzed 7/30/2025Completed 10:12:02 PM
72
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

AI Summary

Chess.com is a leading global online chess platform offering free and premium chess games, puzzles, lessons, and live events to over 200 million members worldwide. The platform targets chess players of all skill levels and provides a comprehensive suite of services including customizable training bots, game review with virtual coaching, and interactive lessons from top masters. The website demonstrates a high level of digital maturity with a modern tech stack including Vue.js, WebAssembly chess engines, and advanced analytics tools. Security posture is strong with HTTPS, bot protection via Cloudflare Turnstile, and secure form handling, although explicit security policies and incident response details are not publicly disclosed. Privacy compliance is robust, featuring comprehensive privacy and cookie policies with consent mechanisms aligned with GDPR requirements. Overall, Chess.com presents a professional, trustworthy, and technically advanced online chess ecosystem.

Detected Technologies

JavaScriptVue.jsWebAssemblyStockfish chess engineCloudflare Turnstile captchaAdyen payment integrationAmplitude analyticsOneTrust cookie consent

🧠AI Business Intelligence

Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

Chess.com holds a dominant market position in the online chess industry, leveraging a large user base and extensive service offerings to maintain competitive advantage. Its business model combines free access with premium memberships (Gold, Platinum, Diamond) and monetizes through subscriptions and in-app purchases. The platform's partnership ecosystem includes payment processors like Adyen and consent management providers such as OneTrust. The company actively engages its community via multiple social media channels and supports mobile platforms with dedicated apps. Growth indicators include continuous feature enhancements, integration of advanced chess engines, and a strong focus on user experience and content quality.

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website exhibits a mature security posture with enforced HTTPS, use of modern security headers, and bot mitigation via Cloudflare Turnstile captcha. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the analyzed content. However, the absence of publicly available security policies, incident response plans, and vulnerability disclosure programs suggests areas for improvement in transparency and readiness. Privacy compliance is well addressed with GDPR-aligned policies and consent mechanisms. The platform would benefit from publishing explicit security documentation and establishing formal channels for vulnerability reporting to enhance trust and security culture.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response plan accessible to users.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Chess

Description:

Play chess online for free on Chess.com with over 200 million members from around the world. Have fun playing with friends or challenging the computer!

Key Services:
Online chess playChess puzzlesInteractive lessonsGame review and analysisLive events and tournamentsSocial features and clubsMobile apps
Content Quality:

excellent

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
JavaScriptVue.jsWebAssemblyStockfish chess engineCloudflare Turnstile captchaAdyen payment integrationAmplitude analyticsOneTrust cookie consent
Frameworks:
Vue.js
Platforms:
WebiOS appAndroid app
Performance:

fast

Mobile:

excellent

Accessibility:

good

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
90/100
Best Practices:
  • Use of HTTPS
  • Turnstile captcha for bot protection
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Secure forms with CSRF tokens
  • Use of reputable chess engines in WebAssembly

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
AmplitudeIterableIntercom
Tracking Level:extensive
Privacy Compliance:good

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Networks:
Confiant
Tracking Pixels:
AmplitudeIterable
Marketing Tools:
AmplitudeIterableIntercomLiverampKountAdyen
Transparency Level:good

Website Quality Assessment

Design Quality:excellent
User Experience:excellent
Content Relevance:excellent
Navigation Clarity:excellent
Professionalism:excellent
Trustworthiness:high

Key Observations

1

Website is fully accessible with rich content and interactive features.

🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

70/100
Score

Missing X-XSS-Protection header

MEDIUM

Legacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)

Missing Referrer-Policy header

LOW

Controls referrer information sent with requests

Missing Permissions-Policy header

MEDIUM

Controls browser features and APIs

Sensitive data may be cached

LOW

Cache-Control header should include "no-store" for sensitive pages

👤GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment under GDPR regulations.

GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment

85/100
Score

No Cookie Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy85% confidence
Cookie Policy0% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
emailphone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

17/100
Score

No information security framework found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures

No vulnerability disclosure policy

MEDIUM

NIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure

No security policy documentation found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity governance and risk management

No incident response procedures found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans

No business continuity planning found

MEDIUM

NIS2 emphasizes operational resilience and business continuity

No security contact information

HIGH

NIS2 requires clear incident reporting channels

No vulnerability reporting mechanism

MEDIUM

Clear vulnerability reporting supports coordinated disclosure

No NIS2 reference found

LOW

Consider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts

📧Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

87/100
Score

No MTA-STS Policy

MEDIUM

MTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery

No TLS-RPT Record

LOW

TLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues

SPF
Sender Policy Framework
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication
MX Records
Mail Exchange Records
BIMI
Brand Indicators
MTA-STS
Mail Transfer Agent Security
TLS-RPT
TLS Reporting
DNSSEC
DNS Security
SPF Details
Record:
v=spf1 mx ip4:66.59.83.16 include:_spf.google.com include:helpscoutemail.com -all
DNS Lookups:3/10
Policy:-all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:k2(1416-bit rsa)
Selector:s1(1440-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:reject
Aggregate Reports:dmarc_agg@dmarc.everest.email
Forensic Reports:dmarc_fr@dmarc.everest.email

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

47/100
Score

Weak Protocols Supported

HIGH

Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

Certificate Transparency Not Implemented

LOW

Certificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 86 days

Weak SSL Key Length

HIGH

SSL certificate uses 256-bit key, which is considered weak

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

1 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 3 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Protocol Support

TLSv1.3TLSv1.2TLSv1.1

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Enabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

85/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

CAA Records Not Configured

LOW

Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records not found

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
30 years(mature)
Expiry Risk
none(681 days)
Protection Level
strongDNSSEC OFF

DNS Records

A Records:104.18.137.67, 104.18.141.67, 104.18.139.67, 104.18.140.67, 104.18.138.67
Name Servers:
dan.ns.cloudflare.com
sue.ns.cloudflare.com
MX Records:
5: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
5: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
10: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
1: aspmx.l.google.com
10: alt4.aspmx.l.google.com
SOA:Serial: 2379217093, TTL: 1800s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:120ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 mx ip4:66.59.83.16 include:_spf.google.com include:helpscoutemail.com -all

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

100/100
Score

Good Network Security Posture

LOW

No unnecessary services detected on common risky ports

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

Chess.com employs a robust and modern technical infrastructure featuring Vue.js for frontend development, WebAssembly for high-performance chess engines (Stockfish, Komodo, Torch), and advanced analytics platforms like Amplitude and Iterable. The site is optimized for mobile devices and demonstrates fast loading times and good SEO practices. Hosting appears to leverage Cloudflare services, including Turnstile captcha for bot protection. The platform integrates multiple third-party services for payments, consent management, and user engagement. Technical risks are minimal, though continuous monitoring of third-party dependencies is recommended to maintain security and performance.
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