From pawns to powerhouse: The fast-growing Charlotte Chess Center hosts the 2025 U.S. Masters over Thanksgiving weekend.
by Michael J. Solender | photographs by Richard Israel
As he neared graduation from UNC Charlotte in 2014, economics major Peter Giannatos faced a pivotal crossroads: pursue a stable career in banking and finance, or take a bold leap into a far less conventional — and far less lucrative — arena, chess.
Giannatos, 34, learned the game at age 7 from his brother. By 13, he was competing in tournaments and soon earned an “expert” rating from the U.S. Chess Federation (USCF), the governing body of chess in the United States. In 2017, he achieved the title of FIDE Master (awarded by the International Chess Federation), began teaching, and emerged as an active advocate for the game.
“I evaluated whether I could make chess my career,” Giannatos says. “I was passionate about it and saw an opportunity in Charlotte to take the Queen City Chess Association — a nonprofit I co-founded in 2007 with a colleague — to the next level through a sustainable business model.”
Backed by a clear business plan built on memberships, classes and tournaments — plus seed money from local supporters and his own investment — Giannatos launched the Charlotte Chess Center (CCC) in 2014. Banking would have to wait.
Checkmating convention
“I decided to take a nontraditional approach in building a for-profit chess club with a structured business model,” Giannatos says. “Most clubs and tournaments nationwide are organized by devoted volunteers, not run as sustainable businesses.”
His plan laid out how revenue from membership fees, programs and events could sustain the club and ensure long-term growth. In this way, CCC became both a community hub and a viable business, bridging passion with professionalism.
Over the past 11 years, Giannatos and his team have built CCC into a nationally recognized success story. Today, the center has more than 1,500 active members and employs 55 staff, including four grand masters who serve as coaches and instructors. CCC operates from two main locations, its south Charlotte headquarters near Pineville and a north Charlotte site between Concord and Huntersville. The center also runs classes at satellite facilities in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Waxhaw.
Charlotte Chess Center founder Peter Giannatos
For adults, CCC hosts open chess nights, casual meetups at local breweries like Resident Culture in Plaza Midwood, rated tournament play, lectures, classes and coaching. For youth, the center offers before- and after-school programs at more than 60 schools across four districts, plus several private schools, reaching nearly 2,000 children. CCC also runs summer camps and youth tournaments.
“We don’t have to convince parents that chess is good for their kids,” says Phil Armstrong, the center’s marketing director and school program mentor. “They believe that before they walk in the door. But the reality is to really get the benefits, kids must play competitively. Studies show students active in competitive chess demonstrate higher math and reading scores. The game strengthens concentration, discipline and self-esteem. We see this skill development every day.”
Chess is cool
When Azima Collins moved to Matthews from Columbia, South Carolina, during the pandemic, she wanted an indoor activity to challenge her young sons intellectually. Collins, a CMS substitute teacher, has five children, four sons ages 9 to 14 and a 2-year-old daughter.
“I learned chess at a young age but had no one in my family or nearby to play with,” Collins says. “I taught the basics to my boys. They understood the general concept, but I wanted them to gain a deeper understanding and be able to play with each other during Covid. I found the Charlotte Chess Center, enrolled them in online classes, and as Covid wound down, we became regulars.”
Her sons quickly fell in love with the game, drawn to its one-on-one competition, strategic depth and their own rapid progress.
“What I love about chess,” Collins says, “is that physical size, color, background — none of that matters. Winners come in all shapes. That’s important to me. They also learn how to lose, take responsibility and show humility.”
Today, Collins’ boys compete regularly in tournaments and attend programs three to four times a week. “My two oldest have advanced so much they’re on an Elite team, where they train with grand masters and even get special jackets with their names across the back. They’re proud to wear them — and to let me and all their friends know chess is cool.”
Chess Club of the Year
With annual revenue topping $2 million, the Center has proven a chess club can thrive as both a community hub and a sustainable business.
In 2018, less than five years after its founding, the U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) named Charlotte “Chess City of the Year.” A year later, it recognized CCC as “Chess Club of the Year.”
“I’d argue we’re more worthy of that recognition now than ever,” Giannatos says.
He points to USCF data showing Charlotte ranks first or second nationally in active rated tournament players among affiliate clubs with physical locations. In 2024 alone, CCC organized more than 400 USCF-sanctioned tournaments.
Giannatos also notes that more than 3.5% of USCF’s active membership plays in Charlotte annually, with more than 1,800 non-resident players competing here.
“To increase your individual rating, you must play higher-rated opponents, which often means traveling to larger cities,” he says. “We’re working to make Charlotte that destination.”
National chess championship
Cementing Charlotte’s status as a chess hotbed is CCC’s hosting of the 2025 U.S. Masters Championship, the official national championship sanctioned by the U.S. Chess Federation.
Nearly 300 highly rated players will compete in the nine-round tournament, including several dozen grand masters and international titleholders. This marks the fifth time CCC has hosted the prestigious event.
The tournament runs Nov. 26-30, over Thanksgiving weekend, at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, with multiple top 50 world-ranked players expected to compete. Prizes totaling $25,000 will be awarded. Running concurrently is the six-round North Carolina Open, Nov. 28-30, with $12,500 in prize money at stake.
Auxiliary events include the $2,000 Blitz, a single-day K-8 tournament that’s open to anyone, and free game analysis, lectures and blitz challenges with VIP grand master Yasser Seirawan.
“It’s a point of pride for us to have grown Charlotte into one of the top chess cities in the country,” Giannatos says. “Charlotte Chess Center works hard to enhance our community through chess. We’re focused on growing the game here and providing opportunities for both enthusiasts and newcomers. I feel like we’re just getting started.” SP
Giannatos is among the local and national chess community grieving the death of Grandmaster Daniel “Danya” Naroditsky in October. Daniel worked closely with CCC. You can read the eulogy Giannatos gave at his funeral service.
