Speaking as someone who has gotten addicted to online chess in the past couple years, I think it's a combination of factors: - Short time format makes for inte

Speaking as someone who has gotten addicted to online chess in the past couple years, I think it's a combination of factors: - Short time format makes for intense, fast paced games - Starting a game only takes a few taps, and you can be done in a few minutes - ELO ratings give you a number to obsess over improving, and online matching puts you against even opponents - Instant post-game analysis - Large amount of Twitch/Youtube content make it more fun to learn and follow the community