About Us

Thank you for visiting ChessCentral! We have been serving the Internet chess community since 1997, and have become one of the most popular sites for chess products and information on the world wide web. ChessCentral is owned and operated by Pickard & Son, LLC; as a North American chess book publisher, Pickard & Son has been creating first-class chess books since 1995 starting with The Games of Wilhelm Steinitz. 

Pickard & Son is managed by the two founders and owners, whose expertise covers all aspects of the business. Sid Pickard has been a National Chess Master since 1985 and serves as CEO of the Company. With its staff consultants of Grandmasters, International Masters, National Masters, and Experts Pickard & Son has gained a reputation for offering only the best in chess. 

Our vision is to build the most comprehensive chess product line and information resource available anywhere. Cutting-edge products and books (both paper and digital) are coupled with a drive to increase awareness about the benefits of interactive, on-line study as a fun way of improving chess performance. Emphasis is placed on directing chess players of every skill level, from casual beginners and novice players (along with their parents!) to serious tournament competitors, toward the information and products they need to succeed. We are committed to providing regular product information updates and individualized prescriptions for improvement. 

We are proud to create and distribute the best in specialized chess information. In the past, knowledge about chess was poorly presented, expensive, and hard to obtain. We have been able to produce attractive products at an affordable price. Skills like manuscript writing, editing, typesetting, print preparation, proofreading, copy writing - not to mention management, marketing, web design - all these have been combined to create a top-notch catalog of chess software, DVDs, chess sets, books, CDs and e-books. 

Presently, Pickard & Son has many active distributors worldwide, on every continent. We have earned a sterling reputation as the leader in cutting-edge chess. Thank for your interest in ChessCentral. We welcome your comments, suggestions, contributions - you may email us at email@chesscentral.com.