The Chess Giant Named Title Partner for StudioVRM.Racing
August 18, 2026 - StudioVRM.Racing is excited to announce a multi-year collaboration with The Chess Giant that will bring together competitors across two disciplines built on strategy, theory, and split-second decision making.
Effective immediately, the StudioVRM Prelude will enter races under the Chess Giant Racing by StudioVRM banner and will run a unique two-tone livery to showcase the chess education and content creation brand. The agreement builds on existing technical collaboration efforts between StudioVRM.Racing's Roger Maeda and the Chess Giant himself, US National Master Solomon Ruddell, in what the team is calling a Tactical Partnership.
Maeda and Ruddell will exchange technical expertise and work to strengthen each other's competitive performance as they seek to raise the profile of both American Touring Car Racing and Speed Chess through educational content and coaching across their respective disciplines.
USCF National Master Solomon Ruddell, The Chess Giant
"We at The Chess Giant are excited to partner with Roger Maeda and the entire StudioVRM.Racing team. It's an honor to represent our brand alongside such a professional, dedicated, and formidable group.
Many people see chess as a slow game driven only by intellect, while racing is often viewed as a sport defined solely by instinct and reflexes. In reality, both demand far more. Success in chess requires intuition, split-second decision-making, and composure under pressure. Likewise, success on the track depends on strategy, preparation, anticipation, and the ability to think several moves ahead.
Though they may seem worlds apart, chess and racing share the same competitive spirit: precision, discipline, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. We're proud to support a team that embodies these qualities and look forward to achieving great things together."
Roger Maeda, Driver-Author, StudioVRM.Racing
"We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Chess Giant Solomon Ruddell. Like many athletes, we use online speed chess as a way to build the mental fortitude and competitive mindset that we need to perform at our best on race day. And now, we will get to work directly with one of the best chess educators in the U.S. in one of the most unique partnerships in Touring Car Racing.
My personal goal is to use this opportunity to create more performance-oriented content to help motorsport enthusiasts and racing drivers become stronger, faster, and more confident in their craft. And while we're at it, maybe add a few hundred elo points to their online chess accounts."
About The Chess Giant
The Chess Giant is the educational chess brand of USCF National Master Solomon Ruddell, created to help chess players new and old improve their game and have fun doing it. Known for his signature attacking style using unique openings like the Hippopotamus Defense, Ruddell offers private lessons, online courses, and free chess content focused on tips, tactics, and competitive mindset to his global audience of over 40,000 chess enthusiasts on Youtube and Twitch.
Learn more at thechessgiant.com and @TheChessGiant on Youtube and Instagram.
About StudioVRM.Racing
StudioVRM.Racing is a New Jersey-based touring car racing team and technical resource offering motorsport-focused tech tips, product reviews, and how-to articles with the goal of educating and entertaining enthusiasts of high-performance automobiles everywhere.
Led by Driver-Author Roger Maeda in the #22 Honda Prelude TC, the team has a competition history of over 15 years across multiple racing series in the US, including overall championship victory in the US Touring Car Championship East Series in 2023. In 2026, the team is charting a new chapter in its history with the SCCA in an upcoming content series that it calls "Honda Prelude vs The World."
