$100 in 30 Days Challenge – Cracking the Chess T-Shirt Market
I think I’ve finally cracked the code on the best angle for promoting chess t-shirts. And honestly, it all came together in a way I wasn’t expecting.
It started when I went back to Zero Blunders to check out their marketing materials and see if anything sparked an idea. Two of their banners used the phrase “chess swag.”
Here’s one of them:
Now, I’m nearly 50, so I had to look up what “swag” actually meant! 😆 But once I did, I ran it through the Google search techniques we covered earlier (autocomplete, People Also Ask, etc. as well as looking out for relevant Quora and Reddit threads), and that’s when things got interesting.
{FYI: Swag is a slang term that refers to a cool or trendy demeanor, encompassing style, confidence, and charisma}
🔍 What I Found in My Research
I came across this post on Reddit:
Who makes cool chess merch?
I love swag and unfortunately, most chess-related apparel lacks any swag/cool images.
That immediately made me think of what Zero Blunders says on their About Us page:
👉 “We were highly frustrated by the fact that the existing chess clothing and accessories were highly limited, and the designs were outdated.”
That’s a perfect match between what chess fans are looking for and what Zero Blunders is offering.
Then, I found more Reddit discussions:
Thoughts on chess t-shirts
Hi, I’m making some chess t-shirts because I couldn’t find any I liked. Any ideas for designs and would anyone even be interested?
One of the replies?
“Just make them look cool so we don’t look like nerds.”
That’s when it hit me: this isn’t just about selling a chess t-shirt—it’s about selling the idea that chess can be cool.
🎁 The Gift-Buyer’s Struggle (And My Lightbulb Moment)
Then I found this post:
Help me find a chess t-shirt!
Hello! Apologies if this is the wrong place to ask, but could any of you chess-savvy folks help me out with chess-related clothing?
I’m trying to buy my husband another chess t-shirt, but without knowing much about chess it’s hard to find that special magic something.
He has a Paul Morphy and Barnes shirt that he loves, but both are getting old. I found a Magnus shirt that says “No Magnus, No Party” that looks like it might do, but I wasn’t sure if that saying refers to something specific…
🔹 The key line here?
👉 “I’m trying to buy my husband another chess t-shirt, but without knowing much about chess, it’s hard to find that special magic something.”
There it is again—the exact same problem I keep seeing.
People want to buy chess gifts for their partners, but they don’t understand chess well enough to know what’s a great gift vs. what’s random junk.
{If you’re interested you can read the original reddit post here}
💡 My New Affiliate Site Idea: The Chess Gift Guide for Non-Chess Players
Instead of just saying, “Here are some chess gifts,” I could create a site that helps people understand the gifts they’re buying.
Something like:
“The Bluffer’s Guide to Chess Gifts: Impress Your Chess-Loving Partner Without Knowing a Single Opening”
📌 Do you have a chess fanatic in your life?
📌 Want to buy them something they’ll actually love, but you know nothing about chess?
📌 This site is dedicated to de-mystifying the crazy world of chess gifts so you can impress your partner/date/boyfriend/girlfriend and find a meaningful present.
Sections of the site could include:
✅ The Top 10 Chess Gifts (Explained in Plain English!)
✅ The Bluffers Guide: 10 Chess Questions You Can Ask to Sound Like You Know What You’re Talking About
✅ Chess T-Shirts: What the Logos and Slogans Actually Mean (So You Don’t Accidentally Buy Something That Makes No Sense!)
It’s like a translator for chess gifts, making sure non-chess players can confidently buy something cool, rather than feeling totally lost.
🚀 Next Steps – What Do You Think?
I think this idea has real potential.
🎯 It connects directly to a clear audience pain point.
🎯 It gives me a unique angle instead of just another “chess gifts” list.
🎯 It ties in perfectly with Zero Blunders’ mission of making chess clothing cooler and more relevant.
But what do you think? Does this sound like a strong direction? Should I go all-in on this “Gift Guide for Non-Chess Players” idea?
Let me know! 🚀