Compared to big sports, Chess is well, not that big. There is already a big difference between sponsorships and partners when it comes to sporting events. For example, the NBA is partnered with the top companies in the world like Nike, Football has Emirates.

Chess, despite the lack of action and spectators, can deliver what millions of fans and supporters are looking for. With the global chess community gaining more traction from various locators, funding for bigger events is flowing.

In 2020, the Women’s World Championship is to take place in China and Russia. More and more chess organisations are getting the resources they need. Here are the top three chess partners and sponsors.

PhosGaro

PhosGaro is one of the biggest chemical companies in the world and is situated in Russia.

PhosGaro provides vertically integrated phosphate-based fertiliser and high-quality crop nutrients.

The company distributes its products to over 100 countries and not to mention they are big chess fans, in fact, a partner. PhosGaro has been supporting chess organisations and tournaments in Russia. The company also sponsored the 2014 World Match Championship Match in the city of Sochi.

PhosGaro’s CEO, Andrey Guryev is also a member of the Russian Chess Federation Board of Trustees.

Algorand, LLC

Algorand is a leading provider when it comes to blockchain support and solutions throughout the globe. Algorand reshaped the way we perceive and utilise cryptography and blockchain integration for various businesses.

The company, based in Boston, USA is a big partner of the global chess community. They have given funding and technical support to hundreds of organisations and tournaments throughout the years.

Algorand, hand in hand with the International Chess Federation or FIDE is furthering the chess campaign in many countries. They support all tournaments including speed chess and puzzle chess. Algorand is one of the World Chess Championship cycle official partners along with PhosGaro.

There are also expectations from Algorand to be more hands-on in helping better automate chess tournaments using modern technology. With puzzle chess taking over most of the tournaments, players, including Grandmaster as demanding innovative chess.

CROC

Most of the biggest companies based in Russia are working with FIDE or other chess organisations. CROC, just like PhosAgro is no different.

CROC is an IT-related services and products provider. They offer B2B solutions, web development, web integration, cloud computing, data management, blockchain, and even artificial intelligence.

CROC is the official broadcasting partner of the World Chess organisation in Russia. The company paved the way for hundreds of tournaments to take place inviting people from all over the country and other nations as well.

As one of the IT market leaders in China, CROC is involved in most of the online integration and communication of the global chess community in Russia.

Fun Fact

Most of these sponsors/partners are encouraging more tournaments to stage 11 or more rounds for chess events. That’s right, with their love for chess, they realised that the initial 10-round suggestion was not enough. It is only the right move given that it is hard to determine the top winners with only 10 rounds. The sweet number right now is 11, for others, 13.