Garry Kasparov, the world number-one chess player who was the game's first millionaire, has positioned his pieces for an e-commerce gambit, starting an Internet chess company that he hopes to make public within the year.
"Going public is part of the business strategy and we have to be sure about the numbers, we have to guarantee the technical security and stability of the site," Kasparov, 36, said.
"Everything else will be more or less ready by August and at that time we will be able to show investors the programme."
Azerbaijan-born Kasparov was a child prodigy growing up in the former Soviet Union and in 1985, aged 22, he became the youngest player to win the world championship title.
The charismatic Kasparov went on to make millions of dollars from chess, his strong personality and popularity bringing top prizes to the world championship as never before.
With offices in New York, Tel Aviv, Moscow and London, and about 65 employees, Kasparov said his group of associates spent $3,5-million (about R22,5 million) to start the new company.
The site features a unique World Schools Chess Championship linking hundreds of schools in dozens of countries competing against each other online for free.
The new website is one of many specialist sites for the millions of chess players around the world to choose from, but distinguishes itself because visitors can communicate with Kasparov and learn from the player whom many experts say is the most brilliant player in the history of the ancient game.
It offers users the ability to download chess lessons from beginner to advanced levels compiled by Kasparov and his team of analysts, one-on-one e-mail tuition with grandmasters, online tournament competitions and chess news.
The school teams, from elementary to high school, that reach the finals of their online tournaments will play Kasparov in a traditional over-the-board simultaneous exhibition as part of their prize.
"The idea of organising the team school championship was to give kids an opportunity to compete with each other from the school premises and without travelling," said Michael Khodarkovsky, who heads the school programme from New York.
"This is very important because not every family can afford trips to chess tournaments and the fees."
KasparovChess Online is privately held by Kasparov and investor groups. Kasparov, whose primary home is in Moscow, said most of the money was raised in Israel and the technical operation was based there.
Most of the features on the nascent site are free, but Kasparov said the company would raise money "in traditional ways" through chess products, including books, chess equipment such as sets and clocks, and online lessons.
"There's only one paid service - one-on-one tuition with grandmasters. Maybe we will have a subscription for downloading lessons," said Kasparov, who last successfully defended his world championship title in 1995 but hopes to clinch sponsorship for another defence in 2000 or 2001. - New York Times