Most online chess schools are run from another continent, with lesson times that suit somebody else’s evening. Ours is not: the coaches who lead our Edmonton groups live here, know the school calendar and plan the week around Alberta afternoons.
Vitaly Andreev has more than ten years of experience teaching children and leads the groups for new students. GM Dimitri Komarov has been an International Grandmaster since 1994 and teaches in English, Ukrainian and Russian.
In-person clubs are great for tournaments. For weekly learning, online classes solve the problems that usually make families stop:
Complete beginners are welcome: at the first lesson the coach plays with your child, sees the level and suggests the right group. Children who already play join a stronger group, and our students include an Alberta champion in Grade 1.
For children who catch the competitive bug, coaches help with openings, time management and tournament nerves — and point you to local over-the-board events when your child is ready.
Because the classes are online and scheduled in Mountain Time, they work the same for St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Calgary, Red Deer and anywhere else in Alberta. Families elsewhere in Canada see the same lesson times converted to their own zone.
Online. The coaches are based in Edmonton, but the lessons run in our online classroom with video and a shared chess board, so your child joins from home on a computer or tablet.
Each group meets once a week at the same day and time: weekday after-school times and weekend mornings, in Mountain Time. You choose your child’s first lesson time when you sign up, and the times are shown in your own time zone.
The first lesson is free and one to one. After that it is a monthly plan in Canadian dollars, shown before you pay, and you can cancel online at any time — including before the first charge.
Most children are ready at about six, when they can concentrate for half an hour. We teach children from about 6 to 15, and complete beginners are welcome.
Yes. When your child is ready, the coach will suggest local over-the-board tournaments and help them prepare, while keeping chess fun.
Our founding coach is FIDE Master Vitaly Andreev, the 2024 Champion of Edmonton. The roster also includes GM Dimitri Komarov, a FIDE Senior Trainer based in Edmonton, and other FIDE-rated coaches — see the coaches page.