World Chess (CHSS) , a London-based chess gaming and entertainment company, announced its interim results for the 6 months ended June 30, 2025 (H1 2025). CHSS reported revenues of €1.1m and a pre-tax loss of €2.1m, broadly unchanged from last year, with €2.3m in total raised during the period.
For context, World Chess is the official partner of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the world's governing chess body and member of the International Olympic Committee. World Chess is the exclusive operator of WorldChess.com, FIDE's official gaming platform where paid members from 160 countries can earn an online rating recognised by FIDE.
Revenues from WorldChess.com remained broadly flat vs FY24 as CHSS focused on developing the online platform. Among the improvements are gamification and anti-cheating features and a new branding and marketing structure. A new player progression system "The Tower" was launched, backed by Algorand Blockchain, as well as a new player ID system powered by Stripe.
Notably, World Chess closed its Berlin club during the period, choosing to focus on its digital platform, with a new "scalable revenue model" under review. To that end, CHSS consolidated all consumer-facing assets - digital play, events, apps, and merchandise - under a single platform and brand at WorldChess.com in July 2025.
The flat performance during the half was therefore expected through this phase of restructuring, and after CHSS delivered 5x year-on-year gross profit growth in FY24. In terms of balance sheet, CHSS entered a binding subscription with two investors in July 2025 to raise US$2.0m through the issuance of new shares. The funding should provide ample runway for CHSS' next phase of growth.
World Chess continues to see strong sales momentum, recently surpassing 1 million registered users ahead of the launch of its new mobile app on November 1. Looking ahead, the recent fundraise and €6m loan secured in September 2024, plus prior investments in FY24 and FY25, should keep CHSS funded to continue product development and platform expansion. The global chess market was valued at US$2.5bn in 2023 and is projected to grow to $3.8bn by 2032.
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