World Chess PLC Rethinks Venue Vision After Berlin Closure and Sets Forth A Concrete Strategic Blueprint

Making formidable strides in the world of chess, World Chess Plc, an acclaimed London-listed chess organisation, recently announced an impending closure of its Berlin club that first unfurled its doors in 2023. Despite attracting a loyal following from the chess community, the Berlin location was unsuccessful in hitting its commercial objectives. The company has hence decided it’ll roll down its shutters for the final time at the end of April 2025.

This decision isn’t the end game but a new opening, catalysed by a comprehensive operational and strategic review. The lessons learned from the Berlin site are being incorporated into a robust revised venue model. This newly designed approach is a reflection of the company’s agility and adaptability in response to unexpected setbacks.

The forthcoming strategy includes a complete digital overhaul and an attempt to escalate a network of chess venues hosting real-world events. The revised venue model is essentially a four-pronged strategic effort intertwined with the broader commercial objectives. The plan is to intensify player acquisitions and engagement for ChessArena.com, create physical hubs for the World Chess Tour and licensed events, discover new sponsorship and brand integration opportunities, and design a platform for membership-based and recurring revenues.

In the future, each site under the company’s operation will be modeled to run at significantly lower fixed costs and with a clear vision of sustainability - a learning undeniably inspired by the Berlin site experience. As this substantial information surfaces, there is a palpable anticipation surrounding the company’s new direction.