Visitors to the United States Chess Federation‘s website recently may have noticed the radical redesign of the site’s front page, logo, and the way that the federation refers to itself. Throughout its history, the USCF has been referred to by its four-letter designation, United States Chess Federation, US Chess Federation, US Chess, and the United States of America Chess Federation. USCF has been the most recent way to identify the organization, but now the federation has started a two-year process of rebranding and revitalizing its image. USCF is now officially US Chess and has a new look, new logo, and a new mission: to empower people through chess one move at a time.

While the only part of the website that has really been updated is the homepage and the logo, I am very excited about this revitalized focus on branding and overall presentation of the organization. Having a modern logo, responsive website, and effective social media presence can do wonders for chess in the United States, especially at a time when Pawn Sacrifice is prepping to debut in theaters across the country, scholastic chess is as popular across the country as it has ever been, Saint Louis is growing as a megapower of chess influence, and worldwide chess is filled with some of the most powerful Grandmasters of all time.

Over time, the US Chess Federation plans to redesign every element of its website including the tragically outdated members only area and crosstable databases. Chess Life magazine has already undergone its modern makeover with a new logo and countless new advertisements and designs in the latest edition, which features Tobey Maguire on the cover as Bobby Fischer from Pawn Sacrifice.

It will be interesting to see what happens over time as the councils and staff at US Chess do to expand the brand and to build greater integration of chess operations across the country. To learn more about the federation’s longterm plans for the brand, check out this message.