Introduction:

Today marks a significant milestone not just for the international chess community, but for our team at One4All. We are thrilled to announce the official launch of the renewed LSS Arena, a premier platform for daily chess, and the formalization of the strategic partnership between LSS and One4All Group.

This collaboration is more than a business deal; it’s a meeting of minds and a testament to our unique partnership philosophy. To explore the deeper strategy behind this move, we sat down with our founder, Erik L. van Dijk.  

Beyond his role at One4All, Erik is a lifelong chess enthusiast and an International Master (IM) in correspondence chess, giving him a unique perspective from both sides of the board.

In this interview, Laura Cioaca and Cynthia Botha ask Erik 10 questions regarding this new partnership. What is in it for LSS? What for One4All as the platform’s partner? We believe that many aspects of this – at first glance – ‘niche’ collaboration have further-reaching implications and applicability. In this respect we agree with former chess world champion, Gary Kasparov, who already in 2007 wrote a book about the relevant linkages between the chess world and life at large (“How Life Imitates Chess”).

Laura Cioaca: Erik, from a strategic perspective, why this specific partnership with LSS, a 20-year-old chess platform, and why now?

Erik L. van Dijk: There are three core reasons, and they converge perfectly at this moment. The first is deeply personal. As an avid chess player for decades, I’ve always been fascinated by the parallels between the game’s strategy and the work of an international investor and adviser like myself. But secondly, chess has always been ahead of the curve geopolitically. The international chess community has long recognized the strength of players from emerging nations, a reality the economic world is only now fully embracing with the rise of the BRICS+ nations. This partnership allows us to build on networks that are becoming increasingly vital in today’s multipolar world.

Finally, the LSS deal itself was compelling because it was both standard and non-standard. It’s a global digital platform, like many tech ventures we see. But it wasn’t a new startup. The founder, Ortwin Paetzold, is a seasoned ICT specialist who grew LSS from a hobby into a business over 20 years. This profile—the experienced, successful entrepreneur who isn’t looking for a quick exit—is often underserved by traditional venture capital. We saw an opportunity to make a statement: “Never underestimate the experienced,” especially when you are willing to build something together rather than just buying them out.

Cynthia Botha: You chose a 5-year Revenue Sharing Agreement (RSA) instead of a traditional acquisition. Could you explain the philosophy behind this structure?

Erik L. van Dijk: Certainly. A traditional buyout immediately creates a conflict of interest: the seller wants the highest possible price, and the buyer wants the lowest. It’s adversarial from day one. Our goal was different. We wanted to keep Ortwin, the heart and soul of LSS, fully engaged and enjoying this new phase as much as the last two decades. The RSA aligns our interests perfectly. We only succeed if LSS grows.

This structure allows us to work together, test our chemistry, and build value jointly. Friction over getting a bigger piece of the cake on day one is less valuable than the synergy you create by working together to bake a much larger cake. After five years of shared experience, we will be in a much better, more informed position to decide on the next phase, whether that’s another RSA or a new corporate structure with shares divided based on a proven track record of collaboration.

“Friction over getting a bigger piece of the cake on day one is less valuable than the synergy you create by working together to bake a much larger cake.”
Laura Cioaca: How did you ensure this deal honored Ortwin’s two decades of work while creating incentives for future growth?

Erik L. van Dijk: This is the core of the RSA’s design. We are not eating away from the path he has already built. The agreement is structured so that our partnership—and our profit share—applies to the new growth we generate together. What he built over the first 20 years remains his; including his normalized growth rate. This respects his legacy and ensures that both parties are laser-focused on the same goal: expanding the platform. The fact that we reached a deal so smoothly demonstrates that this mutual respect was felt and valued from the beginning.

Cynthia Botha: The renewed LSS Arena is the first major result of this partnership. What does this new platform signify for the global user base?

Erik L. van Dijk: It signifies a new era of global community and enhanced experience. We envisioned a setup with a marketing-focused front-end Hub and an upgraded, service-focused Arena for the members. The LSS community is tightly-knit, and we had to respect that while opening the doors to the world. After 20 years with a natural tilt towards Europe, we all wanted to make LSS a truly global platform. It’s wonderful to see a player from Berlin in a tournament battling chess friends from Amsterdam or Hamburg, but it’s even cooler when their opponents are from Manila, Jakarta, and São Paulo. Our house designer, Wioletta Koczor, is currently developing the new landing page that will serve as the global gateway to this expanded universe.

Laura Cioaca: Speaking of a global shift, the chess world is buzzing about the upcoming World Championship match between Gukesh from India and Sindarov from Uzbekistan. How does this mirror the rationale for your Emirati-German partnership?

Erik L. van Dijk: It’s a perfect mirror. The rise of these young talents from India and Central Asia is indicative of a massive global trend. The most upwardly mobile, ambitious, and fastest-growing demographic in the world is the youth in the BRICS+ and other developing nations. This isn’t just a chess trend; it’s an economic one. Here in the UAE, you see it every day at tournaments in Dubai, Fujeirah or Sharjah—players and coaches from Russia, Ukraine, India, China, and across the former Soviet republics. Our partnership is designed to help LSS capture this exact trend, positioning the platform at the heart of chess’s new center of gravity.

“The rise of young talents from India, China and Central Asia is indicative of a massive global trend… This isn’t just a chess trend; it’s an economic one.”
Cynthia Botha: It’s a fascinating situation, though. Despite the new finalists, many fans still consider Magnus Carlsen the “real” champion. Does this paradox offer any lessons for businesses?

Erik L. van Dijk: It’s a tough question, but a relevant one. It highlights the difference between market leadership and true, undeniable mastery. You can’t beat someone who isn’t at the table. But professional sports, like business, is about more than just raw performance; it’s about branding, narrative, and professionalization. Top sports stars are essentially niche SME companies. We’ve seen for years that many brilliant players aren’t always great at translating their mastery into optimal business outcomes. The chess world, filled with super-intelligent people, has always had its share of unrest and commercial conflicts. It teaches us that talent alone isn’t enough; you need a sound strategic and commercial framework to truly succeed.

Laura Cioaca: Garry Kasparov famously wrote “How Life Imitates Chess.” How does that idea inform this partnership?

Erik L. van Dijk: Oh, absolutely. The connection is profound. Chess is a closed-system game, but it’s incredibly complex. It’s a constant exercise in strategy and tactics, making short-term sacrifices for long-term advantage, and preparing not just for your opponent’s next move, but for their entire style before the match even begins. It’s a fantastic strategic training ground for the real world, and it’s amazing how this aspect of the game has often been underestimated.

Cynthia Botha: How can that kind of chess thinking help entrepreneurs navigate today’s “multipolar” world you’ve written about?

Erik L. van Dijk: It teaches the most crucial lesson: your opponent thinks, too. Too often, analysts develop what they believe is a rational strategy, but they fail to adequately consider the reactions of others. In global markets, which are just the outcome of supply and demand, this is fatal. You must incorporate what others are doing. And critically, you can’t just count the number of voices saying something. You have to weigh their power. In the global game, what the Chinese government or Saudi Aramco says about a matter is just as important as the consensus of a thousand analysts or retail investors. Money and power matter on the board.

Laura Cioaca: For a potential partner reading this, what does the LSS deal demonstrate about how One4All creates value?

Erik L. van Dijk: It shows that we are here to add genuine, long-term value. We aren’t looking to extract as much as possible on day one. We are willing and able to work with you, to take the time to see if we are a good fit. In a traditional share deal, you often discover a lack of chemistry too late, which is why everyone tries to protect themselves upfront. Our model, especially in complex situations involving different countries or sectors, proves its worth by building trust and synergy first. The risk of a failed experiment is ours, not the founder’s.

Cynthia Botha: Finally, looking ahead to 2031, what is your five-year vision for this partnership?

Erik L. van Dijk: Success would be for LSS to feel like a truly global platform. I think of it in investment terms. In my university days, the “global” benchmark was the MSCI World index, but it only included developed countries. Over time, as emerging nations grew, the MSCI ACWI (All-Country World Index) became the true global standard. That is my vision for LSS. We want to help it transition from being a “MSCI World” of chess to the “MSCI ACWI”—a platform that reflects the entire, vibrant, all-country world of chess.

Conclusion:

We thank Erik for his time and his fascinating insights. This partnership is clearly more than a strategic move; it is a reflection of a deeply held philosophy that connects the dots between a timeless game, a shifting global order, and a more respectful, synergistic way of doing business.

 

 

We thank Erik for his time and his fascinating insights. This partnership is clearly more than a strategic move; it is a reflection of a deeply held philosophy that connects the dots between a timeless game, a shifting global order, and a more respectful, synergistic way of doing business.

BY CYNTHIA BOTHA & LAURA CIOACA