Courses

Press Room

Our mission

Many chess players stop improving, because they can’t recall what they studied. Much less put them into practice. We’ve experienced it first hand — which is why we built Chessable. It’s an online learning platform, built to maximize retention and boost your chess.

Chessable was born in 2013 as a simple and private memorization tool. Since then, we’ve helped beginners and grandmasters achieve their next breakthrough. Over ###numberofmonthlyusers come to Chessable every month to master openings, drill tactics, and refine their endgame technique.

We’re humbled that fans consider Chessable as the number one site for chess improvement. Not only for the science-based training tools and interactive courses we created. But also for the initiatives we’ve taken to grow our royal game.

Timeline

Chessable was first born as a simple and private opening memorisation tool.

We decided to develop this private tool into a comprehensive & social learning website.

Chessable’s learning community reached 30,000 strong, while our first round of funding raised £100k.

We joined forces with PlayMagnus and chess24, which paved the way for the Play Magnus Group. The acquisition gave Chessable £500k in additional funding.

The Play Magnus Group went public on the Merkur Market of the Oslo stock exchange. Shareholders provided the group with $30.2m in fresh equity.

Chessable was first born as a simple and private opening memorisation tool.

We decided to develop this private tool into a comprehensive & social learning website.

Chessable’s learning community reached 30,000 strong, while our first round of funding raised £100k.

We joined forces with PlayMagnus and chess24, which paved the way for the Play Magnus Group. The acquisition gave Chessable £500k in additional funding.

The Play Magnus Group went public on the Merkur Market of the Oslo stock exchange. Shareholders provided the group with $30.2m in fresh equity.

Chessable in numbers

500k+

registered users

700k+

users

4200+ hrs

video content

200k+

free courses

180+

user generated courses

Social initiatives

Chess in Slums

Chess in Slums Africa is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization that aims to transform impoverished communities and empower its young ones by using the game of chess as a framework to teach academic skills, critical thinking, and a lifelong appreciation for learning. This partnership combines CIS-A’s expertise in community outreach with Chessable’s first-class chess educational content and science-based learning technology. The scope of this new partnership makes Chessable an official educational content partner of Chess in Slums.

Fundacio Carles Blanch

In partnership with the Catalan Chess Federation, we give Chess Classes to students in the Centre San Jaume in Badalona. This educational center has a goal to train and support children and young people in a situation of high vulnerability or risk of social exclusion. We believe that through Chess these students can learn much more than playing a game, but also important life skills that will help them build a brighter future.

Fide Academy

The Chessable FIDE Academy is a joint training initiative by FIDE — the international chess federation — and Chessable — the world’s leading chess e-learning platform. Our mission is to help up-and-comers become the best players they can be. This 2022, over 400 promising youngsters from over 80 national federations will enjoy free access to Chessable courses — plus exclusive lessons from the world’s top coaches. The program is held in our Chessable Classroom. Our comprehensive online chess coaching platform combines face-to-face interactivity with the convenience of virtual classes. So students stay engaged throughout the lesson, while coaches minimize tedious admin work.

The Team

Chessable is home to an ever-growing, multicultural team of passionate professionals. Our mission is to create a smooth learning experience. One that’s as delightful as it is game-changing. We have headquarters in Barcelona and London. But remote work has enabled us to bring in top talents wherever they may be.

David
Kramaley

Co-Founder
David wanted a systematic way to memorize openings and improve other parts of his chess. So he came up with the idea of building Chessable in 2013. Since then, David has led Chessable to new heights. Thanks to his expertise in entrepreneurship, computer science, and applied psychology.

IM John Bartholomew

Co-Founder, Author
John is the friendly face of chess instruction on Youtube. Improvers love his videos for the practical and easy-to-understand lessons they contain. Since co-founding Chessable in 2015, he’s recorded many five-star courses for the company. All of which have become best-sellers.

Geert van der Velde

CEO
Before Chessable, Geert worked as a newspaper boy, warehouse runner, food delivery guy, and a full-time singer in a metal band. Geert’s colorful career built his practical know-how and “can do” attitude. Which made him one of the most versatile and most valuable executives in the group.

IM Dmitri Schneider

COO

Dmitri was the leading junior and the 38th best player in the US at age 17. Later, he took his talents to the financial world, and became an executive director for a global private bank. Dmitri’s penchant for strategy and business-building helps steer Chessable to smoother and more profitable operations.

110

employees

29

countries

26

nations

User testimonials

Brand Assets And Guidelines

Here, you may download Chessable’s brand assets like our logo, product images. If you plan to use any of these files in a way that’s not covered by our guidelines, please contact us at [email protected]

Media Coverage And Inquiries

We’ve been featured in ESPN, Yahoo! Finance, and Financial Times. Find it all here — from the daily coverage of events we helped organize — to becoming Europe’s fastest growing games company. For any other media or speaking enquiries, please send us an email at [email protected]

Contact and Social Media Information

Have a question? Please send us an email at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on social media.