World Chess plc (LSE: CHSS.L) is a gaming and entertainment company that aims to make chess mass market and unlock its commercial potential. The company owns and has an exclusive licence from the Chess governing body, FIDE, to operate the official FIDE Online Arena (FOA) site. World Chess additionally has two fully owned tournaments (Armageddon and Swiss Queens Wednesday); develops and sells official the World Chess Championship Chess Set and merchandise; and owns and operates the World Chess Club Berlin.

Chess games have traditionally lasted for days, making it difficult to broadcast. Like cricket, which has seen a renaissance following the introduction of a shorter T20 format, chess is seeing a similar resurgence with rapid and blitz formats revolutionising the game. However, unlike cricket’s T20 driven commercial boom, Chess is at an early stage of commercialisation. World Chess’s presence across the online and offline spheres, combined with its FIDE partnership, give the company a unique advantage to leverage its brand to commercialise chess.