What The Chess Store, Inc. does

The Chess Store, Inc. is a privately held e-commerce retailer founded in 1999 and headquartered at a warehouse facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, with a mailing address in Seaside, Oregon. The company sells chess sets, boards, pieces, clocks, computers, storage, and accessories across a wide price spectrum from $2.99 plastic pieces to $2,299 luxury Italfama metal sets, positioning itself as a comprehensive destination for individual players, schools and educational institutions, and corporate purchasers. Assortment includes exclusive proprietary designs, branded products from manufacturers such as Italfama, Rechapados Ferrer, Manopoulos, Millennium, and Sunrise Chess & Games, plus curated collections tied to The Queen's Gambit Netflix series and a Vintage Collection.

The storefront is built on the BigCommerce e-commerce platform with a custom Stencil theme developed by QeRetail, supporting checkout in USD and CAD and shipping to nearly every country via USPS and FedEx international services. The company distributes through its own website, a phone sales line staffed M-F 8am-4pm PST, and a Corporate Sales Program that accepts purchase orders from schools, businesses, and government organizations. Marketing channels include email newsletter, organic social on Facebook, X, and YouTube, an affiliate program, and SEO-driven content such as the Chess Board Guide and Rules of Chess pages.

Revenue is generated through one-time product sales to consumer and institutional buyers, with volume discounts and custom quotes available for bulk purchases over defined quantity thresholds. The company has no disclosed headcount beyond a 1–10 employee band, no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, no acquisitions, and no public listing. Operations are run by the founding owners with no reported parent company or institutional investors.

Name

The Chess Store, Inc.

Legal name

The Chess Store, Inc.

Website

https://thechessstore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chess Store, Inc. is a privately held e-commerce retailer founded in 1999 in Hillsboro, Oregon, selling chess sets, boards, pieces, clocks, computers, and accessories to individual players, schools, and corporate buyers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chess Equipment Retail

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers (CRALALAA)

Keywords

• Chess equipment retail
• Board game products
• Chess set sales
• Tournament chess supplies
• Chess accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Seaside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Chess Equipment Retail: One-time product sales of chess sets, pieces, boards, clocks, storage, and accessories. Revenue generated through direct consumer purchases via e-commerce storefront, phone orders, and corporate/purchase order sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Chess Store, Inc. is an e-commerce retailer that sells chess sets, chess pieces, chess boards, chess clocks, chess computers, storage solutions, and chess accessories through its own BigCommerce-powered storefront. The company carries multiple brands and price tiers, from entry-level school plastic sets to handcrafted Italian Italfama luxury sets, and serves both individual consumers and institutional buyers (schools, clubs, businesses, government) globally.

Product overview

The Chess Store, Inc. is a comprehensive e-commerce retailer specializing in physical chess products and equipment. The product portfolio is organized into multiple distinct categories: Chess Pieces (wood, plastic, metal, theme, luxury, and vintage), Chess Sets (plastic, wood, metal, theme, value, antique reproductions, luxury, and travel), Chess Boards (roll-up vinyl, premium wood, storage, floppy mousepad, silicone, and artistic), Chess Storage (wood boxes, bags, cases), Chess Computers, and Chess Clocks (digital and analog variants including ZMF-II, ZMF Pro, ZMF TapNSet, DT25, Basic Digital, Diamond, and Club models). The company also offers Club & School Supplies for educational institutions, special collections including The Queen's Gambit Collection and Italfama Italian-made products, and a Chess Outlet for discounted items. The Chess Store operates a Corporate Sales Program for bulk institutional purchases. As a retail business selling physical chess equipment, the company does not offer software products, APIs, or AI-powered features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Chess Store Basic Digital Chess Clock: Entry-level digital chess clock with increments, delay, count-up/countdown modes. Durable plastic case, easy-to-use, AA battery powered, ideal for schools.
• The Chess Store Club Analog Chess Clock
• The Chess Store Tournament Digital Chess Clock

Products and services

• Chess Pieces Chess pieces in multiple materials including wood, plastic, metal, theme designs, luxury variants, and vintage collection wood pieces for individual players and collectors.
• Chess Sets
• Chess Boards
• Chess Storage
• Chess Computers
• ZMF-II Digital Chess Clock Digital chess clock with rock-solid durability, simple controls, and bright LED display. Touch-sensitive stainless steel buttons, delay/increment modes, tournament presets, and battery life up to approximately 1600 hours.
• ZMF Pro Digital Chess Clock High-accuracy digital chess clock with metal housing, crisp LED timing, intuitive controls, and rock-solid construction. Supports various time controls for blitz and tournament play.
• ZMF TapNSet Digital Chess Clock Digital chess clock programmable via smartphone NFC app, supporting multiple time controls, increment, delay, move counter and presets. Features bright LED display and touch-sensitive buttons.
• ZMF TapNSet Pro Digital Chess Clock Premium digital chess clock with dual side displays, programmable via NFC smartphone app or manual input. Rugged metal case with multiple timing modes and extended battery life.
• DT25 Digital Chess Clock Tournament-level digital chess clock with 59 preset timing modes, LED display, sound toggle, memory recall, and compact plastic case. Suitable for home practice, tournaments, and club matches.
• The Chess Store Basic Digital Chess Clock Entry-level digital chess clock with increments, delay, count-up/countdown modes. Durable plastic case, easy-to-use design, AA battery powered. Available in 7 colors.
• Diamond Analog Chess Clock Battery-powered analog chess clock with large, clear display and intuitive controls. Reliable quartz mechanism, subtle ticking, clear display and low-maintenance operation. Designed for schools and clubs.
• The Chess Store Club Analog Chess Clock Classic mechanical analog chess clock with tilt face, matte case and wind-up operation. Built to endure frequent use in club and tournament games.
• Diamond Ultimate Analog Chess Clock Mechanical wind up analog chess clock with durable matte case, tilted face for easy view, precise engineering, and reliability for blitz or classic games.
• Club & School Supplies Bulk and educational chess supplies including plastic pieces, value plastic sets, roll-up boards, chess bags, classroom sets, teaching tools, demo boards, score books, and chess awards/medals for schools, chess clubs, and tournament organizers.
• The Queen's Gambit Collection Special collection featuring chess products inspired by or related to The Queen's Gambit Netflix series, including the Queen's Gambit Series Final Game Chess Set.
• Italfama Made in Italy Collection Italian-made chess products featuring Renaissance theme metal chess sets and Large Classic Staunton Variegated Gold & Silver chess sets manufactured by Italfama in Italy.
• The Vintage Chess Collection Antique reproduction chess sets and vintage collection wood chess pieces for collectors.
• Chess Outlet Discounted and clearance chess products, sets, pieces, and accessories at reduced prices.
• Corporate Sales Program Corporate purchasing program allowing businesses, schools, and government organizations to place bulk orders via purchase orders for chess equipment and supplies with volume discounts.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BigCommercecoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider powering The Chess Store's online storefront. Provides the underlying infrastructure for product listings, shopping cart, checkout, and order management.
• ItalfamacoreOthersItalian manufacturer of luxury metal chess sets and chess pieces. Featured as a special collection on The Chess Store. Products made in Italy.
• Rechapados FerrercoreOthersChess equipment manufacturer whose products are sold through The Chess Store. Part of the brand portfolio featured on the website.
• ManopouloscoreOthersChess equipment brand available through The Chess Store. Greek manufacturer known for quality wood chess sets.
• BrioBoardsminorOthersArtistic vinyl printed rollup chess board brand carried by The Chess Store.
• MillenniumminorOthersChess equipment brand available through The Chess Store, known for chess clocks and electronic chess products.
• Sunrise Chess & GamesminorOthersChess equipment manufacturer whose products are sold through The Chess Store.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Millennium Chess: Manufacturer and seller of electronic chess computers, clocks, and board systems. Overlaps with The Chess Store's chess clock and electronic chess computer categories and is also carried as a brand partner.

Broad incumbents

• Chess.com Shop: World's largest chess platform with an integrated merchandise shop selling boards, pieces, clocks, and accessories. Overlaps on product category but is bundled with a massive online playing user base that gives it superior traffic and lower customer acquisition costs.
• The Noble Collection: Broad collectibles and gift retailer offering chess sets and themed gaming collectibles including Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings chess sets. Comparable collectibles/chess product overlap but operates across many non-chess categories.

Regional players

• US Chess Federation: Official US chess membership organization that sells chess equipment, clocks, and supplies through its online store. Comparable institutional and tournament-grade chess equipment offering but limited to the US market and tied to membership.

Direct peers

• House of Staunton: Major US-based chess specialty retailer offering chess sets, boards, pieces, and clocks across consumer and luxury tiers. Directly comparable in product breadth, B2C/B2B mix, and exclusive design strategy.
• Chess House: US chess equipment retailer specializing in sets, boards, clocks, and school/club supplies. Comparable customer segments (schools, clubs, individual players) and similar e-commerce direct-to-consumer model.
• Regency Chess: UK-based specialist retailer of luxury and tournament-grade chess sets with worldwide shipping. Comparable focus on premium Staunton sets, collector pieces, and exclusive designs, but primarily serves UK/European geography.
• Royal Chess Mall: Online specialty chess retailer offering a wide assortment of chess sets, pieces, and boards in multiple materials and price tiers. Comparable direct-to-consumer e-commerce model and product breadth in chess.
• ChessBazaar: Online chess retailer selling handcrafted wood, metal, and themed chess sets globally. Comparable product mix in luxury and decorative sets with direct-to-consumer e-commerce distribution.

Others

• Etsy (Chess Maker Sellers): Marketplace hosting many independent handcrafted chess set makers, particularly in the handmade wood, themed, and luxury segments. Functions as indirect competitive pressure in artisanal and collectible chess SKUs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/yourchessstore
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheChessStore
• Facebookfacebook.com/yourchessstore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-chess-store-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Chess Store, Inc.