Chess.com Checkmated by Data Breach: Lessons in Cybersecurity Blunders
Chess.com was hit by a data breach when threat actors accessed a third-party file transfer app. This affected just over 4,500 users out of 100 million. No financial info was revealed, but names and PII were accessed. Chess.com reassures its own systems remain secure. Enjoy free identity theft protection—now with a side of pawn sacrifice!

Hot Take:
Chess.com has found itself in checkmate with this latest data breach, but don’t worry, it seems they’re playing their best defense. After all, in the game of cybersecurity, you win some, you lose some, and sometimes your opponent is a shadowy hacker with a penchant for third-party file transfer applications. Grab your knights and bishops, folks, because it looks like the cybersecurity chessboard just got a little more crowded!
Key Points:
- Chess.com experienced a data breach through a third-party file transfer app in June 2025.
- The breach potentially affected just over 4,500 users out of 100 million.
- No financial information was compromised, and there’s no evidence of data misuse.
- Chess.com is offering affected users free identity theft and credit monitoring services.
- This incident follows a previous cyber mishap in November 2023 involving API exploitation.