Chess At Three
Chess At Three, rebranded as Story Time Chess in 2024, teaches chess and storytelling to children ages 3+ through a proprietary narrative-based curriculum delivered via 400+ trained tutors across online, in-home, club, school, and franchise channels in the U.S.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Chess At Three does
Chess At Three, which rebranded to Story Time Chess in 2024, is a U.S.-based private education company founded in 2011 that teaches chess and storytelling concepts to children as young as three years old through a proprietary narrative-based curriculum. Its core product is a curriculum in which branded characters and stories are used to introduce chess rules and strategy to early learners, delivered through 400+ trained tutors who have collectively taught 50,000+ students and 1 million+ lessons. Delivery formats include live online lessons, in-home private sessions, club classes, and in-school programs (B2B), with the Story Time Chess board game sold as a physical product on Amazon and an additional licensing channel via teachstorytime.com for schools.
The company operates a multi-revenue-stream business model: per-session or subscription tutoring fees from individual parents (D2C), curriculum licensing and program fees from schools (B2B), unit economics from Amazon retail sales of the Story Time Chess board game, and franchise fees and royalties from the Chess at Three franchise program launched in 2024. Its directly served geographies span New York, California (Los Angeles and Bay Area), Orlando (FL), Nashville (TN), and Maryland, with online lessons extending reach nationally. The franchise and school-licensing programs are positioned as the primary levers for future scaling beyond the company's own-operated markets.
The underlying platform is primarily a human-delivered curriculum rather than a software product: there is no disclosed AI/ML tooling, no proprietary model, and no digital platform infrastructure described in the source material. Competitive positioning rests on the differentiated storytelling pedagogy, the trained tutor network, and the multi-channel distribution (live, retail, licensing, franchise). The 2024 rebrand and concurrent franchise and licensing launches indicate a strategic pivot from a regionally delivered tutoring service toward a more scalable, IP-and-channel-driven education business.
Chess At Three firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chess At Three
- Legal name
- Story Time Chess
- Website
- https://chessat3.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chess At Three, rebranded as Story Time Chess in 2024, teaches chess and storytelling to children ages 3+ through a proprietary narrative-based curriculum delivered via 400+ trained tutors across online, in-home, club, school, and franchise channels in the U.S.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Chess At Three is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Chess At Three business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Online Chess Classes: Live online chess instruction for children, accessible from anywhere on any device. Ongoing subscription-based lessons.
- In-Person Home Classes: Tutors come to customer's home for face-to-face instruction. Available in New York City, Los Angeles, and Bay Area.
- Club/Location Classes: In-person group instruction at physical club locations such as Park Slope, New York.
- In-School Programs: Two models: (1) License curriculum to schools where their teachers teach, or (2) Provide curriculum and training to school teachers who teach using the program. B2B revenue stream.
- Chess Game Product Sales: Physical chess game product sold through Amazon marketplace. The Story Time Chess game includes custom chess pieces and story materials.
- Franchise Revenue: Franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs to open Story Time Chess locations in their areas.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chess At Three product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Story Time Chess (formerly Chess at Three) provides story-driven chess instruction for children ages 3 and up via a proprietary curriculum that uses character-based narratives to teach piece movements and strategy. Core offerings include live online classes on any device, in-home private lessons in NYC/LA/Bay Area, club classes in Park Slope, seasonal camps, in-school programs with educator deployment, and curriculum licensing for schools. A physical Story Time Chess board game is sold on Amazon, and franchise locations are licensed to entrepreneurs.
Product overview
Story Time Chess (formerly Chess at Three) is an education company offering story-driven chess instruction for children ages 3+. The company provides multiple learning formats including Online Classes (virtual lessons on any device), Home Classes (in-person at student's residence in NYC, LA, and Bay Area), and Club Classes (at physical Park Slope, NY location). Additional offerings include Holiday Camps, Summer Camps, and school-based programs. The core differentiator is the proprietary story-based curriculum featuring characters like King Chomper, which teaches chess through imaginative storytelling. The company also offers a physical chess board game sold through Amazon, curriculum licensing for schools, in-school teaching programs, and franchise opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Chess Classes Live online chess instruction for children ages 3+ delivered virtually via the company's booking platform, accessible from anywhere on any device. Targeted at parents seeking enrichment chess education for their children without geographic constraints.
- Home Chess Classes In-person chess instruction delivered by certified tutors at the customer's home, available in New York City, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. Targeted at families seeking premium, in-home enrichment.
- Club Chess Classes In-person group chess instruction at the company's physical club location in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York. Targeted at local families seeking structured, on-site enrichment.
- Holiday Chess Camps Short-duration chess programs held during school holidays (e.g., winter break) in NYC, teaching chess to children through the company's story-based curriculum. Targeted at parents seeking structured enrichment during school breaks.
- Summer Chess Camp Intensive summer chess program for children delivered in NYC using the company's story-based curriculum. Targeted at parents seeking extended enrichment during summer break.
- Curriculum Licensing Program B2B program allowing schools and individual educators to license the Story Time Chess curriculum and deliver instruction using their own teachers. Targeted at K-12 schools and educational institutions.
- In-School Programs (We Come To You) B2B school partnership program where Story Time Chess sends its own certified educators to schools to teach chess using the company's story-based curriculum. Targeted at K-12 schools seeking turnkey enrichment without internal teacher training.
- Franchise Program Business opportunity licensing entrepreneurs to open and operate Story Time Chess locations in their territories. Targeted at aspiring franchisees and small-business operators.
- Story Time Chess Board Game Physical chess game sold on Amazon featuring custom chess pieces and story-based learning materials, designed for children ages 3+. Targeted at parents seeking at-home chess learning products.
Quantifiable outcome
- 400+ certified tutors in the curriculum
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Chess At Three
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Chess At Three technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Chess At Three partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chess At Three competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chess-in-the-Schools: Non-profit organization providing chess education programs in NYC public schools and offering classes for kids. Comparable through B2B school chess curriculum delivery and focus on elementary-age demographics.
- Chess.com: World's largest online chess platform offering lessons, courses, and play for all ages. Closely comparable through its ChessKid children's learning platform, which directly competes with Story Time Chess's online class offering and parent-focused enrichment positioning.
- Chess4Life: Chess education company offering after-school programs, summer camps, and franchise opportunities for kids. Comparable through multi-format children's chess education and franchise-based geographic expansion model.
- ChessKid: Chess.com's dedicated platform for children to learn chess, with structured curricula, puzzles, and live coaching. The most direct competitor in the children's chess education market where Story Time Chess operates.
- Silver Knights Chess Academy: National provider of in-school chess programs and after-school enrichment for kids, including tournaments. Comparable through its B2B school licensing model and elementary-age chess instruction focus.
- Chess Wizards: Provider of in-school and after-school chess programs for children, with curriculum and instructor network similar to Story Time Chess. Directly comparable through B2B school partnerships and children's chess enrichment offerings.
- Pandolfini Chess Academy: NYC-based chess education company founded by GM Bruce Pandolfini, offering classes, private lessons, and camps for all ages including children. Comparable through New York City presence and premium in-person instruction for kids.
- Premier Chess: Chess education company offering in-school programs, after-school enrichment, summer camps, and online lessons for children. Comparable through multi-channel children's chess education delivery and similar geographic footprint.
Broad incumbents
- The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis: Major US chess institution offering youth programs, lessons, and tournaments for children. Comparable through structured children's chess education offerings and recognized brand in the US chess education market, though broader in scope (tournaments, grandmaster events).
Regional players
- US Chess Center: Chess education organization running in-school and after-school chess programs primarily in the DC/Maryland area. Comparable through B2B school delivery and kids chess curriculum focus, though operating in different regional markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chess At Three social profiles
Digital presenceChess At Three financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chess At Three leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Chess At Three funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chess At Three M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chess At Three
What does Chess At Three do?
Story Time Chess (formerly Chess at Three) provides story-driven chess instruction for children ages 3 and up via a proprietary curriculum that uses character-based narratives to teach piece movements and strategy. Core offerings include live online classes on any device, in-home private lessons in NYC/LA/Bay Area, club classes in Park Slope, seasonal camps, in-school programs with educator deployment, and curriculum licensing for schools. A physical Story Time Chess board game is sold on Amazon, and franchise locations are licensed to entrepreneurs.
Is Chess At Three a public or private company?
Chess At Three is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Chess At Three founded?
Chess At Three was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chess At Three based?
Chess At Three is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chess At Three make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Online Chess Classes are the primary driver. The others are in-Person Home Classes, club/Location Classes, in-School Programs, chess Game Product Sales and franchise Revenue.
Who are Chess At Three's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chess-in-the-Schools, Chess.com, Chess4Life, ChessKid, Silver Knights Chess Academy, Chess Wizards, Pandolfini Chess Academy and Premier Chess. The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is listed as a broad incumbent. US Chess Center is listed as a regional player.
Does Chess At Three have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chess At Three.