Background information

The Gardiner Chess Centre was built at the end of 2002 by Graeme & Wendy Gardiner with the aim of providing the Gold Coast, and beyond, with a positive chess learning environment for children and enjoyable chess for adults. Apart from the many chess activities we conduct very successfully at the Centre, we have also invested much time and effort in supplying coaches to more and more schools in the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Northern New South Wales regions. With the increased numbers of children enjoying regular chess, we have been able to ensure they can compete with other schools by running tournaments in their own regions and giving them the chance of representing their schools at state and national levels.

In 2006, not only did we offer extra tournaments at the main centres up the Queensland coast to Cairns, but we also expanded our tournaments to regional Queensland out west and were amazed by the numbers of entries in places where there seemed to be minimal chess activity in the community. The keenness is demonstrably there and with it the kids show a thirst for increasing their knowledge of chess. How to cater to these needs presented a major problem for Gardiner Chess because our resources were stretched to the maximum already. This gave us the impetus to create a franchise arm to our chess business, allowing other very carefully selected individuals to form their own well-resourced and supported business and by doing so, offer chess much further afield. We have even had interest shown by a chess enthusiast in a town in America - but first things first!

Although our current business is conducted from our unique chess centre in Mudgeeraba, where we teach chess after school and run tournaments, our franchise arm IQ Chess can be based anywhere within a designated area, and is home-based. For this reason the costs involved in setting up an IQ Chess Franchise are very modest.

IQ Chess Website

For the latest information about IQ Chess click here.

Our first IQ Chess Franchisee

We are delighted to announce that our first franchise will commence in Cairns in Term 1 this year when David Cowland-Cooper takes up the reins. David grew up on the Gold Coast and was a top all-round student, captain of chess for his school, and a very keen sportsman. After finishing his honours science degree at University of Queensland, he spent the last 5 years in Japan where he was a teacher and additionally became an accredited white water rafter. He is keen to keep up his Japanese language skills and intends to combine all these interests while in far north Queensland. Our first franchise couldn't be in better hands! His website can be found here.

If the idea of owning a franchise like this appeals to you, contact us at info@gardinerchess.com and we'll talk!

The official IQ Chess website is here

The IQ Chess vision

IQ Chess promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess by providing the opportunity for children of all abilities and from all walks of life to participate in this brain sport. Students are not aware of the huge benefits that can be attributed to the study of chess, but many of their teachers will attest to their significantly improved class work, behaviour, confidence, problem-solving and social skills.

IQ Chess aims

• To make chess coaching available to as many children as possible.

• To make chess programmes as rewarding and enriching as possible.

• To provide well-trained and committed chess coaches for all school chess programmes.

• To organise chess competitions in schools and in the general community

• To promote holiday chess events for all juniors in the region.

• To ensure chess products are easily obtained and available at discounted prices for schools.

Overview

As franchisors, we are pleased to supply our franchisees with all the equipment and tools they will need to conduct a successful school chess-coaching business. This compilation of goods and services has arisen from Graeme’s vast experience of teaching and administering chess programmes in schools over a number of years. So, we undertake to provide franchisees with not only the physical means to conduct their business but also the coaching and business expertise they will need.

A home-based business is envisaged. There is absolutely no need to build a chess facility like the Gardiner Chess Centre and go through the angst of buying land, spending a huge amount of time and effort getting building permission and then committing a large amount of finance to the project.