The Rookly Story
A shared love of chess. A big idea. And a mission to help
every school build a thriving team.
About the company
Why we built Rookly.
We built Rookly because we knew how much chess had meant to us growing up—and how many students never get that opportunity. A lot of schools want to offer competitive chess, but the logistics get in the way. Tournaments are hard to organize. Travel is expensive. And some students just don’t have access.
We wanted to make it simple for any school to build a team, compete proudly, and let their students grow through play.
Why we believe in chess.
Chess teaches focus, resilience, and creativity—all through something as simple as a board and pieces. It’s one of the few activities where students of all backgrounds, personalities, and abilities can thrive on equal footing.
We’ve seen shy kids come out of their shells, competitive kids learn patience, and entire classrooms light up over a match well played. We believe chess isn’t just a game, but a way to help students grow into themselves.
How it all started
How it all started
We've been playing chess together since we were six years old at Horace Mann. Even when we were separated — during COVID or at different colleges across the country — chess kept us connected.
We noticed that many schools struggle with chess competitions because of all the logistics involved. We built Rookly to solve that problem - no more worrying about travel, scheduling, or finding space. Now any school can have a thriving chess program.
Ready to bring Rookly to your school?
Schedule a demo to see the platform in action, ask questions, and learn how Rookly can transform your chess program.
What We're Building Next
We’re just getting started. Here’s what’s coming up and and why we’d love to have your school with us for the ride.
More Student Personalization
Titles, badges, reactions, rankings...an avatar builder?!
Expanding Our League
New states, new seasons, new players joining every week. More player variety means more fun leagues!
Smarter Pairings
Use historical match performance to augment the pairing algorithms.
Better Tools for Coaches
Improved roster management, insights, match reviews, and recommendations