Chess remains one of the world’s most popular board games. A viable opportunity exists for anyone who can vertically integrate within the chess community. Chess is played at the following tournaments: the Chess Olympiad, Continental Championship, World Championship, National Tournaments, Regional Tournaments, Chess Club Tournaments, School Tournaments, and Other Tournaments.

Chess Federations serve the chess community by promoting chess and organizing chess tournaments worldwide. There are hundreds of chess tournaments each year globally: open, closed, men, women and youth events.

There are more than 100 chess federations globally. While there are millions of chess fans who understand and enjoy chess, based on Internet publications, there are up to 5 million chess players worldwide who are members of federations. Tournament participation statistics demonstrate that interest in chess in growing. In 1924 less than 20 countries participated, while in 2006, 147 countries participated in the Chess Olympiad.

Chess market is growing due to the education value of chess in schools. The American Chess Foundation (ACF) founded the Chess in Schools Program, which was focused on improving math skills for adolescents through improved critical thinking and problem solving skills. Remarkably "test scores improved by 17.3% for students regularly engaged in chess classes, compared with only 4.56% for children participating in other forms of enriched activities."

Recognizing the value of chess as a fun way to help children develop these skills, educators around the world gradually began to introduce the game in their classrooms. Today, the chess market continues to grow due primarily to scholastic chess. The game is now part of the regular primary school curriculum of over 30 countries around the world.

Chess Benefits

• develops decision-making, planning, and problem solving skills

• develops critical, analytical, and logical thinking and perseverance

• improves concentration, memory, intuition and self-control

• improves independence, imagination and creativity

• inspires self-motivation, self-esteem and confidence