Chess.com Data Breach Affects Thousands of Users

Published

September 4, 2025

Updated

September 5, 2025

Chess.com

Types of INFORMATION affected

Names
Social Security Numbers
Dates of Birth
Addresses
Government IDs
Medical Info
Financial Info

On June 19, 2025, Chess.com LLC discovered unauthorized access to data stored in a third-party file transfer application. An investigation determined that an unauthorized actor accessed and acquired certain Chess.com user data. The exposed information included names and, in some cases, other unspecified data elements.

The breach was first made public when a threat actor known as Sworz claimed responsibility and posted about the incident on the open web on May 27, 2025. Chess.com has stated that approximately 4,541 users were impacted by the data breach.

The cybersecurity incident was reported to the Maine and Massachusetts Attorney Generals' offices on Sept. 3, 2025 and the Vermont Attorney General on Sept. 4, 2025. Chess.com began notifying impacted users by mail on Sept. 3, 2025.

Chess.com's response

Upon learning of the incident, Chess.com engaged cybersecurity experts, and notified federal law enforcement. The company is also offering affected individuals free IDX credit and CyberScan monitoring services.

If you receive a notice from Chess.com about this breach, you may want to:

Sign up for the free IDX credit monitoring and identity protection services, provided by Chess.com.
Monitor your credit reports and financial accounts for any unusual activity.
Be alert for phishing emails or phone calls that may use your exposed information.
Consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze with major credit bureaus.

For more information about the company, visit the Chess.com website.

Protect Your Data

A breach notice means your personal details could be circulating far beyond the organization involved. One practical step is continuous monitoring: services such as Identity Defender (included with an ExpressVPN subscription) can automatically check dark-web markets, flag new credit-file activity, and request removal of your information from data-broker sites.

This kind of “early-warning system” can’t undo a breach, but it can help you spot misuse quickly and limit further exposure. ExpressVPN is offering 61% off, risk-free for 30 days, with ID Theft Insurance included and no extra cost for those who sign up for one or two years.