Our Roots and Team
Our Roots
Checkmate is a stand-alone entity incubated by VADR Media, an Australia-UAE executive production company passionate about play, broadcasting, events, and new media. We are playing with a new playbook.
Checkmate has collaborated with subject matter experts, mates, strategic partners, and vendors to accelerate online chess as an esport. All our stakeholders are committed to fair play and a fair go for players and teams, with a share in the upside, united by the principles of Ekecheiria, Fairness, and Tolerance, and fueled by our collaborative but competitive nature.
Checkmate's genesis was the pandemic, and our future is led by a commitment to fairplay and innovation. Born from a time of global isolation, we transformed the challenge of disconnection into a single minded purpose of bringing fair play to online mind games, where every move matters.
Our team is a dynamic blend of esports and sports veterans, tech and chess innovators—all united by a passion for chess and a commitment to competitive and fair play. We're not just colleagues; we're mates on a mission to push the boundaries of what competitive chess can be.
Key Members:
John McRae, MD: With over 20 years in sports, entertainment and media, John leads our award winning team.
Jamie Skella, Co-Founder & Head of XP: A chess enthusiast with a deep passion for esports and Web3 innovation, Jamie is the driving force behind our user experience.
Yev Yevgenij Yurtsev, Rights and Partnerships: A veteran in sports and esports partnerships, Yev has driven strategic collaborations for BlockChain Sports, Weplay Esports, Viacom,Esforce and Nielsen Sports .
Brenda Saveluc, Web3 Evangelist: A visionary commercial lawyer, Brenda is at the forefront of our blockchain and digital asset strategy.
Joan Buch Prades, AI Entrepreneur: Founder of Szuperchess and a pioneer in AI-powered anti-cheat solutions, Joan ensures the integrity of every game we host.
Alex Petrov, Product Designer: Transforms complex systems into intuitive designs, with a creative hand behind, Blitz.gg, TSM and the, Hyper Charts and Eclipse Design Systems
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