Thanks to Frank Bodin, the oldest chess club in the world cuts a fine figure
The chess world knows it, but in Zurich it’s hardly known: The city is home to the world’s oldest chess club. The Zurich Chess Society (SGZ) was founded in 1809, making it older than renowned, long-standing clubs such as the Edinburgh Chess Club. At the same time, it continues to shape the chess scene both nationally and internationally to this day. The agency bodin.consulting developed a logo that visually represents the club’s connection to Zurich.
The historical highlights include the international anniversary tournament in 1934 with world champion Alexander Alekhine, the 1953 Candidates Tournament, which gained worldwide fame thanks to Bronstein's book "Zurich 1953", and the 200th anniversary tournament in 2009 in Zurich's Bahnhofhalle with Garri Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand, Anatoli Karpov, Viktor Korchnoi, Vladimir Kramnik and Judit Polgar.
One of the best-known members is Werner Hug, who joined the SGZ at the age of 16, became world junior champion in 1971 and won the Swiss championship title several times. The SGZ is committed to popular and top-class sport and is a figurehead of Swiss chess culture.
The world's first lion chess piece
With the growing popularity of chess through players like Magnus Carlsen, the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit and the dynamics of digital communication, the SGZ needs a presence that meets today's requirements and is contemporary and attractive for players and the public.
Club President George Brigati turned to Frank Bodin for this task, knowing that he was a chess enthusiast. A nice game for bodin.consulting: the agency developed a logo that makes the connection with Zurich visible, a globally unique chess piece in the shape of a lion, inspired by the city and its history. The logo is also available in animated form.
Smart trains with fresh communication
In addition to the new image, the Schachgesellschaft Zürich is focusing on intelligent communication with headlines that are as quick-witted as brilliant chess moves. This includes social media activities that raise public awareness of junior training in particular.
With advertisements and posters at selected locations, the SGZ is positioning itself as the leading chess club brand in Switzerland and as an institution with international appeal.
With this appearance, the Schachgesellschaft Zürich combines its history with a contemporary presence and shows that tradition and modernity form a strong team in chess. We can look forward to the next communicative moves.
