magnus chess academy
Magnus Chess Academy (operating as Silver Knights Chess Academy) delivers online and in-person chess education — clubs, camps, tournaments, and subscription academies — for children ages 5-18 across 350+ schools in the DC-Maryland-Virginia region and online in all 50 US states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersFairfax, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What magnus chess academy does
Magnus Chess Academy, operating publicly as Silver Knights Chess Academy, is a privately-held chess education business founded in 2004 by Adam Weissbarth in Fairfax, Virginia. The company delivers chess instruction to children ages 5 through 18 across a multi-channel platform: in-person school-based chess clubs at 350+ elementary schools in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC; in-person summer and school-break camps (150+ week-long sessions annually in the DMV); online subscription-based academy memberships (Standard at $99/month and Elite at $179/month with grandmaster coaches); monthly regional tournaments; and equipment and book sales. The online academy serves students in all 50 states and has produced 11 scholastic state champions in 2025 alone, while the in-person programs in the DMV teach more than 10,000 kids per year through school partnerships.
The company's proprietary technology asset is the Chessable Classroom platform, which enables live interactive chess lessons, puzzle solving, gameplay, and tournament participation in a single integrated environment without external video conferencing tools. Online memberships include a ChessKid.com Gold Account. The curriculum is structured across seven skill levels for the standard academy and two USCF rating bands for the elite academy, with periodic championship-preparation classes and recurring grandmaster guest events featuring figures such as GM Judit Polgar and Magnus Carlsen.
Silver Knights generates revenue through a hybrid of recurring subscriptions (online academy), per-cycle club fees paid by parents via schools, transaction-based camp and tournament enrollments, and minor merchandise. Distribution is anchored in school relationships in the DMV region and a self-serve e-commerce website (chessacademy.com) for online and tournament products. Marketing relies on content (the Knight's Corner blog), organic social, SEO structured around county-level program pages, PR coverage of grandmaster events, and parent word-of-mouth. The company has taught 150,000+ children cumulatively and has a documented need-based scholarship program providing more than $50,000 of free or discounted classes annually. The firm remains founder-owned with no disclosed institutional capital, acquisitions, or restructuring activity.
magnus chess academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- magnus chess academy
- Legal name
- Silver Knights Chess Academy
- Website
- https://chessacademy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Magnus Chess Academy (operating as Silver Knights Chess Academy) delivers online and in-person chess education — clubs, camps, tournaments, and subscription academies — for children ages 5-18 across 350+ schools in the DC-Maryland-Virginia region and online in all 50 US states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
magnus chess academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Chess Education
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Academic Olympiads & Subject Competitions (Science, Math, Informatics) (EDAMAGAE)
Keywords
Where magnus chess academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fairfax
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
magnus chess academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Online Academy Memberships: Monthly subscription memberships for the online chess academy with two tiers - standard academy ($99/month for ages 5-14) and elite academy with grandmaster coaches ($179/month for ages 8-18, rated 1400-2300 USCF). Month-to-month with no long-term commitment.
- Online Chess Camps: Week-long themed online chess camps with prices ranging from $39.80 to $199.00. Camps include 2.5 hours daily instruction, maximum 8 students per group, ages 5-15, grouped by skill level. Feature bonus lessons with grandmasters.
- In-Person Chess Clubs: School-based chess clubs priced at individual school locations, typically running one hour sessions with 20-25 minute lessons followed by practice play. Club fees range from approximately $128 to $474 depending on location and duration.
- In-Person Chess Camps: Summer and school break camps in Virginia and Maryland locations. Full-day programs for all skill levels with lessons, practice games, and equipment provided.
- Chess Tournaments: Monthly scholastic chess tournaments across Virginia, Maryland, and DC. Entry fees range from $20 to $87. Tournaments include rated and unrated sections, various championships (state, regional, city).
- Chess Equipment and Books: Sale of chess sets ($34), books including 'Master Your Chess with Judit Polgar' ($32) and other chess literature through the online store.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Online Academy - Ages 5-14, Beginners to 1400 USCF rating |
| Subscription | Monthly | Elite Academy - Ages 8-18, 1400-2300 USCF rating |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Online Trial Class |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Online Summer Chess Camps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | School Break Camps |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chess Tournaments |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | In-Person Chess Clubs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Championship Preparation Classes |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
magnus chess academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Silver Knights Chess Academy (operating as Magnus Chess Academy) provides online and in-person chess education programs for children ages 5-18 across the United States, including weekly online academy membership classes, in-person after-school chess clubs at 350+ school locations, summer and school break camps, monthly scholastic tournaments, and chess equipment sales. Programs span all skill levels from beginners to elite tournament players rated up to 2300 USCF, delivered through a proprietary online classroom platform (Chessable Classroom) and physical venues across the Baltimore-Washington Metro Area.
Product overview
Silver Knights Chess Academy operates a comprehensive chess education platform consisting of two main pillars: in-person programs and online offerings. In-person services include chess clubs at 350+ schools across Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC, plus summer and school break camps throughout those regions. Online programs include the Academy membership (regular and Elite tiers for different skill levels), online camps with various themes, trial classes, and tournament preparation courses. The company also organizes monthly tournaments across Virginia, Maryland, and DC, and sells chess equipment and books. All programs serve children aged 5-18 from beginners to tournament champions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Online Chess Academy: The company's flagship online program serving students in all 50 states with weekly semi-private lessons, tournaments, and special events with famous chess players.
- Elite Academy
Products and services
- Online Academy Monthly subscription program ($99/month) for children ages 5-14 (beginners through 1400 USCF), offering weekly small group lessons across 7 skill levels, weekly online practice tournaments, weekly bonus lessons (Tactics Tuesdays, Coach's Choice, Book Club), online camp discounts, and a ChessKid.com Gold Account. Serves students in all 50 U.S. states and beyond.
Quantifiable outcome
- 150,000+ children taught chess since founding
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use magnus chess academy
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
magnus chess academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
magnus chess academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
magnus chess academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Chessable: Chessable is an online chess learning platform that also powers Silver Knights' Chessable Classroom. It overlaps with the online academy via spaced-repetition courses and structured curricula, and could expand live-coaching offerings to compete more directly.
Broad incumbents
- Chess.com: Chess.com is the dominant online chess platform globally with lessons, tournaments, and a youth-facing product (ChessKid). It is a broad incumbent whose chess-learning capabilities overlap with Silver Knights' online academy, though it is not localized to schools.
Direct peers
- ChessKid.com (Chess.com): ChessKid.com is the dedicated children's online chess learning platform owned by Chess.com, already integrated as a partner (Gold Account included in Silver Knights memberships). It competes directly for online chess-learning mindshare and subscription dollars for kids ages 5–18.
- The Knight School: The Knight School runs after-school chess clubs and camps for children across multiple U.S. states with a similar school-partnership model to Silver Knights. It is the closest direct competitor in K–8 chess enrichment and shares the school-distribution, in-club-coach, and tournament playbook.
Others
- Kasparov Chess Foundation: The Kasparov Chess Foundation runs youth chess programs, tournaments, and school initiatives globally. It is not a commercial peer but operates adjacent to Silver Knights' tournament and school-club missions, and influences the demand environment for scholastic chess.
- Chess in Schools (US): Chess in Schools is a non-profit that promotes chess curriculum in U.S. public schools, often partnering with districts and donors. It is a thematic adjacent rather than a commercial competitor, but its initiatives expand the total demand for chess enrichment providers like Silver Knights.
Regional players
- Saint Louis Chess Club: The Saint Louis Chess Club is a regionally anchored chess education and tournament powerhouse in St. Louis, running youth programs, camps, and national-caliber tournaments. Comparable as a regional chess-education destination rather than a direct in-market competitor to Silver Knights' DMV footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
magnus chess academy social profiles
Digital presencemagnus chess academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
magnus chess academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
magnus chess academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
magnus chess academy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about magnus chess academy
What does magnus chess academy do?
Silver Knights Chess Academy (operating as Magnus Chess Academy) provides online and in-person chess education programs for children ages 5-18 across the United States, including weekly online academy membership classes, in-person after-school chess clubs at 350+ school locations, summer and school break camps, monthly scholastic tournaments, and chess equipment sales. Programs span all skill levels from beginners to elite tournament players rated up to 2300 USCF, delivered through a proprietary online classroom platform (Chessable Classroom) and physical venues across the Baltimore-Washington Metro Area.
Is magnus chess academy a public or private company?
magnus chess academy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was magnus chess academy founded?
magnus chess academy was founded in 2004.
Where is magnus chess academy based?
magnus chess academy is headquartered in Fairfax, United States, in the North America region.
How does magnus chess academy make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Online Academy Memberships are the primary driver. The others are online Chess Camps, in-Person Chess Clubs, in-Person Chess Camps, chess Tournaments and chess Equipment and Books.
Who are magnus chess academy's main competitors?
Chessable is listed as an emerging player. Chess.com is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are ChessKid.com (Chess.com) and The Knight School. Others are Kasparov Chess Foundation and Chess in Schools (US). Saint Louis Chess Club is listed as a regional player.
Does magnus chess academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for magnus chess academy.
What industry is magnus chess academy in?
magnus chess academy's product category is Chess Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJALAM, After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs), with a secondary code of EDAMAGAE, Academic Olympiads & Subject Competitions (Science, Math, Informatics). Its NAICS code is 611620 and its SIC code is 8200.