Chess.com unveils free poker platform Gambit and eyes expansion into classic games

Chess.com expanded beyond chess by releasing Gambit, a free-play online poker site that debuted in beta in May and now supports bot play, friend matches, tournaments and a review mode. The platform mirrors Chess.com’s design and includes its own Elo-style rating system, which also underpins a premium subscription for advanced learning tools. Albert Cheng explained that artificial intelligence enabled a small team of two to code the new site efficiently, while emphasizing that Gambit will never involve real-money betting.

The site’s first live event, the Gambit Cup, will be streamed on Twitch and YouTube on August 31 with participation from co-founder Danny Rensch and chess streamer Alexandra Botez. Looking ahead, Chess.com plans to launch additional classic games—including go, backgammon and mahjong—each built with similar rating mechanics and AI-assisted development.