There’s a number we’re proud of. But it’s not just a number.
Outpost just hit 100,000 Outposters. That means 100,000 people who chose chess, not just as a game, but as a way to think sharper, compete harder, and belong to something bigger.
Players. Coaches. Arbiters. Clubs. Organizers. Streamers. Even chess-boxers.
Different paths, one shared language: chess. Play, Learn & Improve. Easily.
♜ Why chess still matters (more than ever)
Chess isn’t just “smart.” That word doesn’t do it justice.
It’s discipline. It’s pattern recognition. It’s emotional control under pressure. It’s creativity within constraints.
From casual online games to elite over-the-board battles, chess demands something rare today: focus. And whether you're grinding rating points or just playing a blitz game on your phone, you're part of that tradition. Play, Learn & Improve. Focus.
♞ From unrated players to world-class grandmasters
Outpost was never meant only for the elite. But something interesting happened along the way. They came anyway.
Players like:
- Pentala Harikrishna - our 1st ambassador. Read exclusive interview with him HERE
- Jorden van Foreest - currently ranked 14th on the FIDE World Top Players. Read exclusive interview with him HERE.
- Nodirbek Yakubboev
- David Navara (extremely kind and intelligent chess player)
- Ivan Šarić
- Aleksandar Indjic (European Champion)
- Bassem Amin (7-time African Champion)
And thousands of others. From ambitious beginners to seasoned professionals. That mix is the point. Because chess grows faster when strong players and hungry learners share the same space.
♟️ Real stories, real opportunities
Here’s one that says a lot. Maksim Chigaev earned his GM title in 2019. In 2023, he made a life shift, changing federations, moving across Europe, and looking for a new club.
He signed up on Outpost.
That’s where a chess club Pula found him. That’s where the conversation started. That’s how he got recruited.
Simple as that.
And he’s not the only one.
- Tournament organizers found players
- Players found clubs
- Events found visibility
That’s what happens when the right people are in the same place.
♜ Tournaments discovered, careers shaped
Outpost didn’t just grow a network. It amplified it.
Tournaments like:
- FIDE Corporate World 2024
- Many ECU events
- Open Pula (record participation last year)
- Paraćin Open
- Rilton Cup
- Benidorm Open
- Apatin Open
- Poreč Open
- Bled Festival
- First Saturday tournaments in Budapest …and others, reached players who might never have seen them otherwise.
And for many players, that’s the bridge: from online play → to real-world competition.
♞ Playing a role on the world stage
Outpost also stepped into something bigger.
We were part of organizing the FIDE World Corporate Championship 2024, working alongside global chess professionals, all the way to the finals in New York.
That’s not just participation. That’s contribution.
♟️ More than games: challenges, rewards, growth
Outpost has never been just a directory.
We’ve run:
- Online challenges
- Live tournaments
- Prize competitions
Where players earned:
- Cash prizes
- Access to platforms like ChessMood, Chess Neurons, Opening Master
- Premium memberships like Chess.com Diamond
Because improvement should be rewarded, not just expected.
♜ The people behind the movement
Communities don’t scale without people who care.
Outpost grew thanks to ambassadors who pushed it forward every day:
- Nitzan Steinberg
- Aleksandra Samaganova
- Sandra Djukic
- Birger Wenzel
- Sasa Jevtic
- Hristijan Cakoncev
- Adriana Palao
- Milan Jocev
- Dejan Tasev
- Max Weidenhoefer
- Matt Thomas …and many more.
Matt, especially, helped bring visibility to a niche that deserves it: chess-boxing. Through Outpost, even registrations for the 2025 World Championship in Loznica got a boost.
That’s the kind of impact that doesn’t show up in numbers, but matters.
♞ The core that holds it all together
And then there’s the team.
Led by WIM Lena Govedarica, a player, trainer, arbiter, streamer, and builder.
Not just a leader, but a connector. The kind of person who attracts ideas, people, and momentum — and turns them into something real.
Outpost didn’t happen by accident. It was built.
♟️ What’s next: smarter chess, better players
We’re not slowing down. We’re building:
- AI Coach
- AI bots for play and training
- AI learning across openings, middlegames, and endgames
Because the future of chess improvement is clear:
- No waiting
- No pressure
- No “stupid questions”
- 24/7 access
AI won’t replace human coaches, it removes friction. And when you need a real trainer? You’ll still find them on Outpost.
♜ Why 100,000 is just the beginning
You don’t get to 100k by accident.
You get there by being useful. By solving real problems. By building something people actually come back to.
And now? There are 100,000 reasons to join.
♟️ Your move
If you’re already here, you built this. If you’re not yet, you’re late, but not too late. Sign up. Join the network.
Become an Outposter. PLAY. LEARN. IMPROVE. Easily. With AI.
