EDAMI (Escuela de Ajedrez Miguel Illescas)

What EDAMI (Escuela de Ajedrez Miguel Illescas) does

EDAMI (Escuela de Ajedrez Miguel Illescas) is a Barcelona-based chess education school founded in 1999 and directed by Grandmaster Miguel Illescas. The company operates as Chess Education and Technology S.L. (CET), a private limited company under Spanish law, with 6 employees and headquarters in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. EDAMI provides structured chess instruction to children (ages 6-14), adults (15+), federated players, and families through multiple formats: regular weekly group classes held at the school and at partner schools across Barcelona, private one-on-one lessons, online group classes via ZOOM, and seasonal holiday day camps (Casales) during summer, Easter, and Christmas breaks. The school serves both amateur beginners and competitive players, with integration into the Club d'Escacs Tres Peons competitive structure providing progression into Catalan league play (up to 13 teams, with Tres Peons-EDAMI ascending to Division Honor in 2022-23).

The company's product portfolio extends beyond instruction to include a proprietary ARENACHESS real-time tournament pairing system (launched June 2023), chess books and a video course authored by GM Illescas, physical chess sets, branded card games (Cartas de la Suerte, El Dragón de Ajedrez), and school educational materials under the 'Aprendemos a pensar jugando' program, distributed via the Ajedrez21.com e-commerce storefront. Revenue is generated through recurring subscription-based class fees, pay-as-you-go holiday camp pricing (e.g., €49.90 per Easter week, €12 per Saturday club day), private lesson fees, and merchandise sales. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: EDAMI reaches customers through partner school extracurricular programs, annual school tournaments (350+ participants from 84 schools in 2019; 113 schools in 2016), simultaneous exhibitions with international masters, content marketing via its blog and YouTube (ChessFM), and active social media presence. The company is founder-controlled without external institutional investment, operates exclusively within Catalonia/Spain for physical delivery, and uses online channels for global reach.

Name

EDAMI (Escuela de Ajedrez Miguel Illescas)

Legal name

Chess Education and Technology S.L. (CET)

Website

https://edami.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EDAMI is a Barcelona-based chess school founded in 1999 by Grandmaster Miguel Illescas, offering group classes, private lessons, online instruction, and seasonal camps for children, adults, and families in Catalonia, with a proprietary ARENACHESS tournament system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chess Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAFACAC

Interactive Practice & Skill-Building (Drills, Games, Mastery Practice)

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Digital Curriculum, Courseware & Interactive Learning Content

SECONDARYEDAFAHAF

Game-Based Learning & Gamification Authoring

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Content Authoring, Instructional Design & eLearning Development Tools

SECONDARYEDAFANAD

Game-Based CS & Computational Thinking Platforms

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/STEM & Coding Learning Platforms (Robotics, Maker, Computer Science)

Keywords

• Chess education services
• Chess instruction classes
• Chess training programs
• School extracurricular activities
• Chess tournament management

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chess Classes (Group): Regular group chess classes for children (6-14 years) and adults (15+ years), offered as extracurricular activities at schools and at the EDAMI headquarters in Barcelona.
2. Holiday Programs (Casales): Chess holiday camps during summer, Easter week, Christmas, and other school breaks. These are typically week-long or multi-day intensive programs with a recreational and educational focus.
3. Private/Particular Classes: One-on-one chess instruction available at the school, at student's home, or online via Internet Chess Club platform.
4. Online Group Classes: Online chess instruction via ZOOM platform, allowing flexible learning for students regardless of location.
5. Chess Materials and Books: Sale of chess books, boards, pieces, and educational materials through Ajedrez21.com e-commerce platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EDAMI is a chess education school offering structured group chess instruction for children (ages 6-14) and adults (15+), private lessons, online group classes via ZOOM, and seasonal holiday day camps (Casales) for summer, Easter, and Christmas. The school also sells chess books, video courses, boards, pieces, and proprietary products through the Ajedrez21.com online store, and hosts tournaments using the proprietary ARENACHESS real-time pairing system.

Product overview

EDAMI (Escuela de Ajedrez Miguel Illescas) operates as a chess school offering a multi-format instructional program centered around in-person and online classes. The core offering comprises group chess instruction for children (ages 6-14) and adults (15+), supplemented by private lessons and online group classes delivered via ZOOM. Seasonal day camps (casales) for summer, Easter, and Christmas holidays provide recreational chess activities for primary school students. The product portfolio extends to physical and digital merchandise including books and video courses authored by GM Miguel Illescas, chess boards and pieces, and proprietary products such as 'Cartas de la Suerte' (Cards of Luck) and 'El Dragón de Ajedrez.' A notable innovation is the ARENACHESS tournament system, a real-time pairing technology for blitz tournaments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chess Classes for Children (Clases Infantiles) Group chess instruction for children aged 6-14, offered as an extracurricular activity from Monday to Friday starting at 18:00. Classes focus on decision-making, emotional control, and learning to win and lose responsibly.
• Chess Classes for Adults (Clases Adultos) Group chess instruction for adults and federated players aged 15+, taught by experienced monitors and masters. Classes are organized by skill level and include all necessary materials.
• Private Chess Lessons (Clases Particulares) One-on-one chess instruction available at the school, at the student's home, or via the Internet. Uses the Internet Chess Club platform for real-time webcam-based teaching.
• Online Group Chess Classes (Clases Online en Grupo) Online group chess instruction using ZOOM technology, allowing flexible learning regardless of location. Students can review class materials after each session.
• Chess Summer Camps (Casales de Verano) Day camps held during summer holidays (late June through July), oriented toward primary school students with a predominantly recreational and educational character.
• Easter Chess Camps (Casales de Semana Santa) Chess day camps during Easter holidays, typically held over 4 sessions. Includes chess instruction and other board games such as Scrabble, Pictionary, and Monopoly.
• Christmas Chess Camps (Casales de Navidad) Chess day camps during Christmas holidays, organized in two sessions (late December and early January). Oriented toward primary school students with a recreational focus.
• Books by Miguel Illescas (Aprende con Miguel Illescas) Chess learning books authored by Grandmaster Miguel Illescas, available for purchase through the Ajedrez21 online store.
• Video Chess Course by Miguel Illescas (Curso Vídeo de Miguel Illescas) Complete video-based chess course by GM Miguel Illescas, available for purchase through the Ajedrez21 online store.
• Chess Boards and Pieces (Tableros y Piezas) Chess sets including boards and plastic pieces available for purchase through Ajedrez21.
• ARENACHESS Tournament System A real-time intelligent pairing system for blitz and rapid chess tournaments, created by GM Miguel Illescas. Unlike Swiss systems, players are continuously matched against opponents of similar ranking without waiting between rounds.

Quantifiable outcome

• Student achievement in Catalonia age championships and school tournaments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Club d'Escacs Tres PeonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Strategic merger between EDAMI and Tres Peons chess club. The combined team Tres Peons-EDAMI achieved championship of first division 2022-23, ascending to Catalonia's top division (Div. Honor). This integration provides competitive team infrastructure for EDAMI students and expanded resources for club members.
• La Salle BonanovaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school that hosts EDAMI school tournaments and end-of-course celebrations. EDAMI provides chess instruction as an extracurricular activity at this institution.
• CosmoCaixa BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience museum venue that hosted the annual EDAMI school chess tournament (Torneig infantil EDAMI) from 2015-2016, attracting over 100 schools and 400+ children.
• Escola ProaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school where EDAMI provides chess instruction as an extracurricular activity. Students from this school have competed in Catalonia age championships.
• Joan Roca SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school hosting EDAMI chess classes with visits from GM Miguel Illescas. Students participate in school tournaments and inter-school competitions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Polgar Chess Center: Hungarian chess education center founded and run by the Polgar family, offering chess instruction from beginner to advanced levels. Highly comparable to EDAMI as a grandmaster-led chess school with structured curriculum and competitive teams.
• Chess.com: Largest online chess platform globally with educational content, lessons, and tournaments. Overlaps with EDAMI in chess instruction for children and adults, but delivers it through a free/freemium online model rather than in-person classes.
• ChessKid: Chess.com's dedicated children's chess learning platform with lessons, puzzles, and live classes. Directly competes with EDAMI's primary segment (children ages 6-14) through engaging online content and certified coaches.
• Magnus Chess Academy: Online chess education academy built around Magnus Carlsen's brand. Comparable to EDAMI in leveraging a world-class grandmaster's reputation to deliver structured chess instruction, though delivered online rather than in-person.
• Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC): UK charity that brings chess into schools through curriculum-aligned programs and tournaments. Closely comparable to EDAMI's B2B school partnership model and tournament-based engagement with educational institutions.
• Saint Louis Chess Club: US-based chess education institution offering classes, camps, and tournaments for children and adults. Comparable to EDAMI in its combination of recreational instruction, competitive teams, and GM-led events.

Emerging players

• Lichess: Free, open-source online chess platform with study tools, puzzles, and educational features. Competes with EDAMI on the education side, particularly for adult learners seeking free alternatives to paid instruction.
• Chessable: Online chess learning platform using spaced repetition and MoveTrainer methodology. Competes with EDAMI's adult training programs and book product line for self-directed learners.

Regional players

• Escacs.cat (Federació Catalana d'Escacs): Catalan chess federation that organizes leagues and tournaments in which EDAMI/Tres Peons competes. Operates as a regional ecosystem player rather than direct competitor, but adjacent to EDAMI's competitive team operations.

Broad incumbents

• ChessBase: Established chess software, database, and multimedia company with educational products, magazine, and authoring tools. Has a broader chess content portfolio than EDAMI but overlaps in chess education materials and courses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/escuelaEDAMI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ChessFM
• Facebookfacebook.com/escuelaEDAMI
• Instagraminstagram.com/escuela_edami/?hl=es
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edami

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 EDAMI (Escuela de Ajedrez Miguel Illescas)