New In Chess

What New In Chess does

New In Chess B.V. is a Dutch chess publishing house founded in 1984 and headquartered in the Netherlands, operating as both a publisher and an e-commerce retailer. The company sells physical and digital chess books, its flagship New In Chess Magazine ('The Club Player's Magazine'), and chess software through the website newinchess.com, shipping to more than 100 countries and maintaining an international reseller network. It is the parent of the New In Chess Group, which encompasses multiple imprints — Quality Chess, Popular Chess, Chess Elevation, Chess from Scratch, and Everyman Chess — providing breadth across price points and reader levels, from beginners and children to titled players and trainers.

The business model combines one-time book and software purchases with an annual magazine subscription (€79.99/year), complemented by digital distribution through Forward Chess and a catalog that includes ChessBase software products such as Fritz, Mega Database, and ChessBase '26. The company operates a content ecosystem spanning a blog, a podcast with 95+ episodes, an email newsletter, and digital magazine archive apps covering 2009-2025, and it partners with DGT (chess equipment) and Max Euwe Centrum (chess history) to extend the catalog. Customer segments include individual chess players, clubs, trainers, and resellers worldwide, served primarily through direct e-commerce rather than enterprise contracts.

Technology is concentrated in publishing and distribution rather than proprietary AI development. The catalog includes AI-augmented features inherited from ChessBase partnerships — Fritz (ICGA World Champion Engine 2023), AI-supported coaching in Fritz Coach 2, Monte Carlo Analysis, and AI plan-description — but the company does not disclose internal model research or proprietary training pipelines. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and there is no evidence of external funding or institutional ownership; the company operates as a privately held, owner-managed niche publisher.

Name

New In Chess

Legal name

New In Chess B.V.

Website

https://newinchess.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New In Chess is a Dutch chess publishing house, founded in 1984, that sells books, its flagship 'Club Player's Magazine,' and ChessBase software through newinchess.com to players, clubs, trainers, and resellers in 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chess Books Sales: Sale of physical and digital chess books including titles from their own publishing imprints and other publishers. Books range from €19.95 to €59.95.
2. Chess Magazines: Sale of New In Chess Magazine, 'The Club Player's Magazine', available by individual issue or subscription at €79.99 annually.
3. Chess Software: Sale of ChessBase software products including Fritz chess engines, Mega Database, and related chess training software. Products range from €49.90 upgrades to €499.90 premium packages.
4. eBooks and Digital Products: Digital downloads of chess books and training materials available through Forward Chess integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

New In Chess is a chess publishing house that produces and sells chess books under multiple imprints (New In Chess, Quality Chess, Popular Chess, Chess Elevation, Chess from Scratch, Everyman Chess) and publishes "New In Chess Magazine" (The Club Player's Magazine) via subscription and individual issues. It also distributes ChessBase software products (Fritz engines, Mega Database, Corr Database, ChessBase '26 packages) and digital chess books through the Forward Chess platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quality Chess: High-quality chess book imprint
• Popular Chess
• Chess Elevation
• Chess from Scratch
• Everyman Chess

Products and services

• New In Chess Magazine

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forward ChesscoreTechnology or IntegrationForward Chess is New In Chess's digital eBook platform partner, providing digital distribution of chess books and training materials. The platform offers interactive chess books with sample pages and purchase options.
• DGT (Digital Game Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDGT is a partner providing chess equipment including DGT sets and clocks, which New In Chess promotes and sells through their platform.
• Max Euwe CentrumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMax Euwe Centrum is a partner organization (the museum and archive of former World Chess Champion Max Euwe), with whom New In Chess collaborates on chess history content and publications.
• ChessBasecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew In Chess serves as a distributor for ChessBase products including Fritz chess software, Mega Database, ChessBase Magazine, and related chess tools. Products include Fritz 21, Fritz Powerbook, ChessBase '26 packages, and database upgrades.
• Quality ChesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuality Chess is part of the New In Chess Group publishing family, specializing in high-quality chess literature.
• Popular ChesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPopular Chess is part of the New In Chess Group publishing family, focusing on accessible chess instruction.
• Chess ElevationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChess Elevation is part of the New In Chess Group publishing family.
• Everyman ChesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEveryman Chess is part of the New In Chess Group publishing family.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ChessBase: ChessBase is the dominant chess database and software publisher (Fritz, Mega Database, ChessBase engine) and also a New In Chess distribution partner. It overlaps on software, magazines, and training content but is broader in product portfolio and operates at larger scale.

Direct peers

• Mongoose Press: Mongoose Press is an independent chess book publisher focused on instructional and biographical titles for the English-speaking market. It is a direct peer in chess book publishing with a comparable mid-sized catalog and similar target audience.
• Gambit Publications: Gambit Publications is a UK-based chess book publisher with a comparable catalog of opening guides, tactics, and instructional titles. It is a direct peer in the chess book publishing segment targeting club and tournament players.
• Thinkers Publishing: Thinkers Publishing is a chess book publisher specializing in opening repertoire and training material. It competes head-to-head with NIC Group imprints in the same customer segment of club and competitive players.
• Chess Informant: Chess Informant is a Serbian chess periodical publisher with a long history of annotated games and opening surveys. It is the closest direct peer to the New In Chess Magazine in terms of periodical format and serious-player audience.
• Everyman Chess: Everyman Chess is another imprint within the New In Chess Group. Its catalog of instructional chess books (the 'Starting Out,' 'Everyman Chess' series) makes it functionally comparable to Gambit and other independent chess publishers.
• Chess & Bridge: Chess & Bridge is a London-based chess bookseller and publisher that stocks and distributes titles from multiple chess publishers. It is a direct peer as a chess-specialty retail and publishing channel competing for the same end customer.
• Quality Chess: Quality Chess is a wholly-owned imprint of New In Chess Group but operates as an independent publishing brand for high-quality chess literature. Its standalone product line competes in the same market segment as third-party publishers like Gambit.

Emerging players

• Chessable: Chessable is a digital-first chess learning platform with move-by-move interactive courses. Acquired by Chess.com, it represents the digital alternative to traditional chess book publishing and also resells titles through New In Chess's storefront.

Others

• Forward Chess: Forward Chess is New In Chess's eBook distribution partner and operates as a digital chess bookstore. It is an enabling platform/peer rather than a direct competitor, providing infrastructure for digital sales.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NewInChess
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-in-chess

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about New In Chess