Play Magnus Group

What Play Magnus Group does

Play Magnus Group was a Norwegian chess entertainment and education company founded in 2013 by world chess champion Magnus Carlsen, headquartered in Oslo with 101-250 employees. The company operated as a multi-brand platform consolidating a portfolio of more than ten chess-focused products and businesses, including the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (premium online tournament series), learning platforms (Chessable with MoveTrainer technology, Chess24, AimChess, Magnus Academy), consumer apps (Play Magnus App Suite), training brands (GingerGM, iChess.net), and publishing houses (Everyman Chess, New In Chess). The underlying technology stack combined web and mobile direct-to-consumer delivery, video streaming and live broadcast infrastructure for tournaments, and structured move-training and spaced-repetition engines for learning products.

The business model blended multiple revenue streams: subscription-based recurring revenue from learning platforms (Chessable, Chess24, Magnus Academy), sponsorship and prize-fund-supported revenue from tournament operations (Champions Chess Tour with Meltwater as title sponsor), one-time publishing revenue from chess book and magazine sales (Everyman Chess, New In Chess), and recurring scholastic education revenue from in-person and online chess programs for children following the September 2021 acquisition of Silver Knights Enrichment. The go-to-market was product-led and event-driven, relying on free-to-play entry points (apps, puzzles, lessons) with upgrade paths to premium subscriptions, supplemented by high-profile tournament marketing that reached 200,000+ concurrent viewers for marquee events.

In December 2022, Chess.com acquired the company for $82 million in a deal unanimously recommended by PMG's board. Following the close, Magnus Carlsen transitioned from founder to Chess.com brand ambassador, and PMG's brands were integrated into Chess.com's platform of more than 100 million global members. As of the input data, PMG operates as a subsidiary of Chess.com rather than as an independent entity.

Name

Play Magnus Group

Legal name

Play Magnus Group

Website

https://playmagnusgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Play Magnus Group is a Norwegian chess entertainment and education company founded in 2013 by Magnus Carlsen, operating a portfolio of more than 10 brands (Chessable, Chess24, Chess Tour, Everyman Chess, etc.) for chess players, professionals, and scholastic learners; acquired by Chess.com in December 2022 for $82 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Chess Education Products: Revenue from chess learning platforms including Chessable, Magnus Academy, and other educational products offering lessons, puzzles, and training tools
2. Chess Events and Tournaments: Revenue from the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour and related tournament operations
3. Chess Publishing: Revenue from publishing brands including Everyman Chess and New In Chess
4. Scholastic Chess Education: Revenue from in-person and online chess education for children through Silver Knights Enrichment

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Play Magnus Group operated a portfolio of leading chess-focused digital brands delivering e-learning, entertainment, and competitive play products to a global chess audience. Its core offerings centered on chess learning platforms (Chessable, Chess24, AimChess, Play Magnus App Suite, Magnus Academy) paired with the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour professional tournament series and chess publishing (Everyman Chess, New In Chess). The company also extended into the scholastic chess market via Silver Knights Enrichment.

Product overview

Play Magnus Group was a platform-plus-brand portfolio company founded in 2013, focused on chess entertainment and education. The company operated as a multi-brand platform encompassing tournament events (Meltwater Champions Chess Tour), learning platforms (Chessable, Chess24, AimChess, Play Magnus App Suite, Magnus Academy), and publishing (Everyman Chess, New In Chess, iChess.net, GingerGM). The portfolio was unified by the mission of enabling more people to play, watch, learn, and earn a living from chess. The company also expanded into scholastic education through the acquisition of Silver Knights Enrichment. Play Magnus Group was acquired by Chess.com in December 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Meltwater Champions Chess Tour: Professional chess tournament circuit
• Chessable
• Chess24
• AimChess
• Play Magnus App Suite
• Magnus Academy
• Everyman Chess
• New In Chess
• iChess.net
• GingerGM

Products and services

• Meltwater Champions Chess Tour Premium online professional chess tournament series featuring top grandmasters competing in Champions Chess Tour events, broadcast live on streaming platforms. Targeted at chess fans, professional players, and event sponsors.
• Chessable Chess learning platform offering MoveTrainer technology and courses for chess skill development. Targeted at chess learners from beginner to advanced.
• Chess24 Chess entertainment and education platform providing tournament coverage, analysis, streaming, and learning content. Targeted at chess viewers, learners, and tournament followers.
• AimChess Chess training tool focused on improving aim and visualization skills for the chess board. Targeted at chess players seeking to strengthen pattern recognition and calculation.
• Play Magnus App Suite Suite of chess applications for learning and playing chess, developed under the Play Magnus brand. Targeted at broad consumer audiences from beginners to intermediate players across web and mobile.
• Magnus Academy Chess learning academy offering instructional content and structured courses for players of various skill levels. Targeted at adult and aspiring competitive players seeking premium chess instruction.
• Everyman Chess Chess publishing company producing chess books and educational materials for players and libraries. Targeted at chess readers, libraries, and bookshops.
• New In Chess Chess publishing house and magazine providing in-depth coverage and analysis of chess events. Targeted at chess enthusiasts and subscribers interested in professional chess journalism.
• iChess.net Chess training and education platform offering video-based lessons and training tools. Targeted at chess learners who prefer video instruction.
• GingerGM Chess education brand featuring content and instruction from grandmaster Ginger, serving the scholastic and general learning market. Targeted at student chess players and chess beginners.
• Silver Knights Enrichment US-based scholastic chess education service operating in both in-person and online formats, delivering chess learning to children in schools and after-school programs. Targeted at schools, after-school programs, and parents of school-age children.

Quantifiable outcome

• Chess.com reached 100 million members on the same day the acquisition closed

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chess.comcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Chess.com acquired Play Magnus Group for $82 million in late 2022, combining the world's largest chess platform with PMG's suite of products. As part of the acquisition, Magnus Carlsen signed as a Chess.com ambassador and competes regularly in Chess.com events including the Speed Chess Championship.
• Magnus CarlsencoreOthers · 1 December 2022Following the Chess.com acquisition, Magnus Carlsen signed as a Chess.com ambassador. He competes regularly in Chess.com events including the Speed Chess Championship, PRO Chess League, Bullet Chess Championship, and Titled Tuesdays.
• Silver Knights EnrichmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Play Magnus Group acquired 100% of Silver Knights Enrichment's chess assets on September 1, 2021. Silver Knights is a US-based scholastic chess education provider operating in both in-person and online formats, expanding PMG's reach in the scholastic market.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ChessBase: Germany-based chess software, database, and training company behind flagship products like Fritz, ChessBase database, and online training. Closest analogue to PMG's premium training stack (Chessable, AimChess, Magnus Academy) and a long-standing player in the chess software and content category.
• Chess Informant: Long-running chess publishing house producing annotated games, opening surveys, and training material for serious players. Direct comparable to PMG's publishing arm (Everyman Chess, New In Chess) in the chess content publishing category.
• Chess24: Online chess platform for streaming, news, analysis, and play that was part of Play Magnus Group at acquisition. Now consolidated into Chess.com but historically a direct chess media and learning competitor, comparable as a content-first chess platform.
• Lichess: Free, open-source chess platform offering play, study, puzzles, and tournaments. Direct competitor to Chess24 and Chessable in online chess learning and play; Magnus Carlsen's subsequent venture Take Take Take has even partnered with Lichess, making it the most strategically relevant chess-only competitor to the PMG ecosystem.
• Internet Chess Club (ICC): Subscription-based online chess club offering live play, lectures, and tournaments to a dedicated paying audience. Direct comparable in monetized online chess community and parallel event-driven learning format to Chessable and Chess24.

Others

• FIDE: International chess federation governing world championship cycles, ratings, and global chess governance. Adjacent peer through its role in organizing elite tournament infrastructure and the player ecosystem from which Champions Chess Tour draws its talent pool.
• US Chess Federation: National chess governing body and membership organization in the US, organizing scholastic and amateur competitive play. Relevant peer on the scholastic enrichment and membership-driven engagement side of the business (overlapping with Silver Knights).

Emerging players

• Take Take Take: Magnus Carlsen's subsequent chess app venture partnered with Lichess. Represents a new chess consumer product line from the same founder figurehead, with potential overlap — and competitive friction — with PMG's Play Magnus App Suite and Magnus Academy.

Broad incumbents

• Chess.com: World's largest chess website with 100M+ members; acquired Play Magnus Group in December 2022 for $82M. Now operates as PMG's parent, but was the dominant incumbent in chess play/community before the deal — and the relevant broader chess destination whose scale now envelops all PMG products.
• Duolingo: Gamified consumer eLearning platform with subscription monetization, mobile-first engagement loops, and streak-driven retention. Relevant comparable for the underlying eLearning mechanics (subscription learning, gamified progress, mobile apps) that drive Chessable, Magnus Academy, and Play Magnus App Suite revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Play Magnus Group