Chess popularity surges in Germany amid Chess.com data leak

Germany is experiencing a significant surge in chess popularity, with approximately 3.5 million people playing online weekly. The German Chess Federation (DSB) recently surpassed 100,000 members for the first time, driven by a record number of players under the age of 20. This growth has been attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the influence of the Netflix series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’.

Amidst this growth, the online platform Chess.com has reportedly suffered a data leak involving over 7.3 million user entries. The leaked data, collected between late July and early August 2026, includes email addresses, usernames, real names, locations, and subscription levels. While passwords and payment information appear to be excluded, experts warn that the combination of personal details and account status could facilitate targeted phishing attacks. The nature of the leak suggests a gradual scraping of an interface rather than a single database export.