International Chess Academy, LLC.

What International Chess Academy, LLC. does

International Chess Academy, LLC. (ICA) is a privately-owned chess education business established in 1996, headquartered in New Jersey with physical school locations in Glen Rock and Teaneck. The academy provides professional chess instruction to children ages 6 to 16 across beginner through Grandmaster skill levels, organized around three core program lines: (i) recurring chess classes comprising private lessons, semester programs (in-person and virtual), after-school programs, and trial classes; (ii) seasonal chess camps including Knight's Quest, GM Summer Camp, and Scholastic Summer Camps; and (iii) a competitive tournament calendar anchored by ICA Championships, a FIDE-rated championship, Open Championships, and Glen Rock Quads. Coached programs maintain a stated 6:1 student-to-instructor ratio, and the academy is staffed by titled players including WGM Irina Levitina, who was admitted to the World Chess Hall of Fame.

ICA's commercial model draws on four revenue streams: subscription-style chess class enrollment (private lessons and semester programs), summer camp tuition, tournament entry fees, and supplementary enrichment offerings including math (Prealgebra, Advanced Mathematics), coding, reading/writing, and ELA classes. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; registration is taken on inquiry with annual cadence implied by fall/spring/summer terms. Distribution is hybrid: direct enrollment at the two physical NJ schools, on-site after-school instruction at partner schools, and virtual Zoom-based delivery that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and now reaches students globally. Marketing is community-led via the ICA Blog, tournament reports, and a partnership with the ChessKid platform (official ICA club). The company has cumulatively served 3,000+ children and run 100+ chess camps over its 20+ year history; it operates as an independent, owner-managed LLC with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or M&A activity.

Name

International Chess Academy, LLC.

Legal name

International Chess Academy, LLC.

Website

https://icanj.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Chess Academy is a privately-owned chess school, founded in 1996 and based in Glen Rock and Teaneck, New Jersey. It delivers private lessons, semester classes, summer camps, and FIDE-rated tournaments to children ages 6 to 16, with virtual programs extending its reach globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chess Education & Training Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Olympiads & Subject Competitions (Science, Math, Informatics) (EDAMAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Chess instruction services
• Scholastic chess education
• Chess tournament organization
• Summer chess camps
• Math enrichment classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chess Classes and Lessons: Revenue from private lessons, semester programs, and after-school chess programs for students of all skill levels.
2. Chess Camps: Revenue from summer camps including Knight's Quest, GM Summer Camp, and Scholastic Summer Camps for ages 6-16.
3. Tournaments: Revenue from tournament entry fees including ICA Championships, FIDE Championships, and Glen Rock Quads.
4. Math and Extracurricular Classes: Revenue from supplementary education programs including mathematics and coding classes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

International Chess Academy is a privately-owned chess school providing professional chess instruction to children ages 6 to 16, from beginner through Grandmaster level, through private lessons, semester classes (in-person in Glen Rock and Teaneck, NJ, and virtually via Zoom), after-school programs, trial classes, summer camps, and FIDE-rated tournaments. The academy also offers supplementary math and extracurricular enrichment classes including coding, reading and writing, and ELA, delivered both on-site and online.

Product overview

International Chess Academy (ICA) is a chess-focused educational organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs for children. The core offering consists of chess instruction through Private Lessons, Virtual Semester Classes, After School Programs, and Trial Classes. The company runs seasonal Chess Camps including Knight's Quest Summer Camp, GM Summer Camp, and Scholastic Summer Camps. ICA also organizes competitive Tournaments including the ICA U1900 Championship, ICA FIDE Championship, Open Championships, Glen Rock Quads, and the Dr. David Ostfeld Memorial ICA Championships. Beyond chess, ICA has expanded into enrichment education with Math Classes (Summer Advanced Mathematics, Prealgebra, and Advanced Mathematics programs) and Extracurricular Classes including Coding, Reading and Writing, and ELA courses. The company operates physical locations in Glen Rock and Teaneck, New Jersey, while serving global students through virtual programs. Notably, ICA has formed a partnership with ChessKid for its online chess community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Chess Lessons

Quantifiable outcome

• 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio in camps
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chess.com: Largest global online chess platform offering lessons, courses, and AI-driven training. Competes with ICA on the instructional layer at much lower price points and with vastly greater scale; also indirectly affects the broader competitive landscape for chess education.
• Lichess: Free, open-source online chess platform with study tools and community features. Provides free competition to ICA's beginner and intermediate instruction offerings and hosts online tournaments that overlap with ICA's virtual events.
• ChessKid: Chess.com-owned online platform aimed at younger players with lessons, puzzles, and clubs. Directly comparable to ICA's audience (children) and already a partner via ICA's official club — both competitor and channel at once.

Direct peers

• Chess Without Borders: Nonprofit providing chess instruction and tournaments to youth, including online programs. Closely comparable to ICA in mission, age range, and combining local instruction with virtual delivery.
• Chess-in-the-Schools: New York-based nonprofit providing scholastic chess instruction and after-school programs to children. Closely comparable to ICA in mission (youth chess education), customer segment (ages 6-16), and after-school B2B distribution channel.
• Berkeley Chess School: California-based chess school offering classes, tournaments, and camps for K-12 students. Operates the same core mix of private lessons, group classes, scholastic tournaments, and summer camps as ICA.
• US Chess Center: Washington D.C.-area organization running youth chess classes, tournaments, and after-school programs. Directly comparable to ICA as a regional scholastic chess education provider with camps and rated events.
• Saint Louis Chess Club: Major U.S. scholastic chess organization running classes, camps, and one of the country's most prestigious scholastic tournament circuits. Comparable to ICA in hosting FIDE/US Chess-rated youth tournaments and operating a year-round youth chess education program.
• Magnus Chess Academy: Online chess academy offering live group classes, private lessons, and camps for youth players. Directly comparable to ICA in product mix (lessons, camps, curriculum for kids) and in leveraging a world-class instructor brand for differentiation.
• National Scholastic Chess Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to scholastic chess education and tournament organization in the U.S. Comparable to ICA in targeting school-age chess players with structured instruction and competitive events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-chess-academy-kids-online

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 International Chess Academy, LLC.