As of Tuesday, March 17, 2026, Chess.com is experiencing significant server outages. Reports from multiple monitoring services indicate that the site is currently “DOWN for everyone,” with servers failing to respond to pings for several hours today.
Current Status Overview
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Website & App: Users are reporting “502 Bad Gateway” errors and general timeouts when trying to load the homepage or open the mobile app.
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Login Issues: Because the main servers are unreachable, the login authentication system is currently offline. You will likely see “Server Unavailable” or a “Loading” loop if you try to sign in.
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Live Chess: Ongoing games were reportedly aborted or frozen earlier today due to a scheduled live server restart that appears to have encountered technical complications.
Troubleshooting (Once Servers are Back)
If you see reports that the site is back up but you still can’t log in, try these specific 2026 fixes:
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Clear Browser Cookies (Not Cache): Chess.com staff often recommend clearing just the cookies for the site to resolve “Too many redirects” or login loops.
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Toggle “Keep Me Logged In”: If you are stuck on the login screen, checking the “Keep me logged in” box has been a known workaround for authentication glitches in the current version of the site.
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Update the App: If you’re on Android or iOS, ensure you aren’t on an old version (anything below v4.7.3), as older versions have lost support for the new 2026 security protocols.
Also Read: NCIS Being Cancelled
Why is it down?
The site is likely struggling with a massive surge in traffic today following the Eberechi Eze vs. Magnus Carlsen campaign launch and preparations for the State of Chess broadcast scheduled for next week (March 24).
Pro Tip: While Chess.com is down, many players are migrating to Lichess.org as a backup to keep their tactics sharp.
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