Chess.com, which has become indispensable for chess players and has been providing many chess-related services for years, made an offer to buy 100% of the shares of Play Magnus Group. The offer was accepted by Play Magnus Group, according to the press release.
Chess.com management expects the process to take about six to eight weeks and announced that both companies will remain independent until then. Companies that come to mind when it comes to chess want to join forces to create great experiences for fans.
Daniel Rensch, Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com, comments on the matter:
“This is a special time for chess. More people are playing and watching chess than ever before. Events like PogChamps, the Speed Chess Championship, and the Champions Chess Tour have changed the game forever. We believe there is an opportunity here to take chess to new heights by combining our efforts, and we are seizing that opportunity.”
Established in 2007, Chess.com is the leader among chess sites, with more than 400 team members today.
Related: Animoca Brands and Play Magnus Group partner to bring chess to the metaverse
The purchase offer was made for a total of 798,885,386 NOK ($83 million), all cash, and 13 NOK ($1.35) per share. The press release stated that this offer is 28.46% above the closing price on August 23, 2022.
Play Magnus Group Co-Founder and World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen expressed his comments on the subject as follows:
“It has been amazing to experience the growth of Play Magnus Group since 2013, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank the whole team for their efforts in developing the company and positively impacting the chess world. Now we are entering a new era, and the combination of these two companies creates opportunities for the game of chess that no-one has imagined before. I have great respect and admiration for Chess.com and what they have achieved. I look forward to begin working with the Chess.com team to create the best future for chess.”
Chess.com provides many services on chess today. The company’s versatile portfolio includes coaching, social network, newsfeed, tactics, and puzzles. The company also has two platforms, Chesskid.com for kids and ChessTV for chess broadcasts.
On the other hand, Play Magnus offers many different membership systems to its users. The company’s membership system includes four fun and educational mobile games: Magnus Trainer, Knight Runner, Tactics Frenzy, and Play Magnus.