How To Become A Top Blogger For Chess.com

How do I get listed at Chess.com/Blogs?

"Top Blogger" status can only be awarded by Chess.com staff. Bloggers making regular, positive, high-quality contributions to the Chess.com community are given this stamp of approval and time on Chess.com's home page. 

To be considered, blogs must regularly follow these three rules, matching the rest of Chess.com's premium featured news and articles content:

• Use a main image for the blog (thumbnail) that is at least 1280x720 pixels. A quality thumbnail is a MUST to be considered for top blogger status. When showing online chess products or boards, Chess.com's software must be used. More guidance on thumbnails can be found here.
• Include content that is relevant (chess), helpful (teaching, educating, not advertising), and nice (not inflammatory to any race, religion, political party, gender, or nationality).
• Start your blog with at least two short, introductory paragraphs.

If you still have more questions, check out our FAQ.

My Blog Meets These Requirements. What's Next?

Fill out the form below. Chess.com's staff will review your blog and if approved, you will be listed at Chess.com/blog/authors. At this time you'll also receive a congratulatory message on Chess.com for confirmation. Most applicants are not approved on the first application, and due to the many applications we receive daily, we are only able to respond directly to accepted applicants. Due to the sheer volume of applicants, review time can take weeks. Please see the FAQ below with suggestions for maximizing the quality of your blog.

Frequently Asked Questions:

I'm not worried about my blogs reaching a large audience, I just enjoy the writing. Can I blog without submitting an application? 

Of course! Chess.com offers all its members the ability to maintain their own blog. Click here to get your blog started today. We encourage all our members to be active bloggers!

I need more creative direction about writing great blogs on the web. Can you help?

Yes!

• Read this: How to Properly Publish a Post
• And then read this: 5 Quick Ways To Write Better On Chess.com

By taking these steps, you will increase your chances of earning the Top Blogger status on Chess.com.

Can I see some examples of other "Top Blogs"?

Sure! Here are a few:

• World Championship Game Analysis by GM Robert Hess
• Dinosaur Chess by DeepGreene
• Interesting Opening Ideas by IM JRgascon
• Interesting Bishop Endings by GM LuckyTiger
• and more at Chess.com/blogs

I see some blogs at Chess.com/blogs that don't fit the criteria. Who should I contact?

A Top Blogger is a user on Chess.com who consistently writes great content for the Chess.com community. They often write about their own games played right here on Chess.com, about their favorite (instructive) games from top tournaments going on around the world, or even about their personal struggles improving or study habits, offering advice and insight to other members. Not every blog they write will always meet the standards 100%, but those who provide consistently great content will be given a pass here and there.

I used to be a Top Blogger, but I no longer see my blogs at the top and I'm not listed at chess.com/blogs/authors. What happened?

First of all, thank you for providing such great content to the Chess.com community. We're sorry to hear about your troubles. Please note that even our most active bloggers who've been on Chess.com for a long time must follow the guidelines listed above to maintain their status. We recommend that you review all of your blog posts and assess if perhaps one of your posts did not match our standards. 

I'm a Top Blogger and I've seen some blog posts make it to the featured slot on the home page of Chess.com, or get tweeted out with the hashtag #chesscommunity. What makes those blogs so special and why aren't my blogs getting promoted in this way?

There are dozens (if not hundreds) of original pieces of content created on Chess.com every day. Sometimes, our staff is overwhelmed with what to promote, and we may just be missing your great work. Please include any and all reasons why you think your content deserves to be promoted to the global chess community.

Am I allowed to use my blog to promote my coaching services or my own website?

Yes, you are. Within reason. Guidelines:

• Don’t use your blog purely to advertise your services. These types of blogs will not only be deleted but often lose you your Top Blogging status
• Always offer some kind of quality takeaway (educational, entertaining, enlightening, etc) for your readers. Following the "80/20" rule is the best place to start. 80% quality takeaways for your readers, 20% of the material may advertise your services, coaching lessons, videos, or other services
• Though you can promote your own personal website or non-chess websites, do not link to other chess service websites outside of Chess.com.