In-Person & Online Chess Classes and Tournaments,
Trusted by World Champions!
Vancouver Chess School has guided over 5,000 juniors to success — including 3 World Champions, FIDE Masters, and countless national & provincial champions — through our proven 12-level program, expert coaching, and exciting tournaments. Starting at $100 CAD/month.
What are our superpowers?
Champions
Titles
Experience
Reviews
Our Stars & Stories
🎖️ Levy Rozman Receives the VCS Signature Medal of Honour
Levy Rozman, known as GothamChess, sends his best wishes to all Vancouver Chess School students and shares his hope to visit Vancouver one day.
Karson Lu 👑 Crowned U7 FIDE Rapid World School Champion 2024!
Huge congratulations to Karson Lu on his incredible victory at the U7 FIDE Rapid World School Championship 2024 in Callao, Lima, Peru! 🏆 A remarkable achievement that brings pride to Vancouver Chess School and inspiration to all our juniors.
Hikaru Nakamura’s Legendary Visit to VCS! ✨
During a special training session, Hikaru Nakamura surprised our Team BC and Sunday Chess Club students! He played blitz, signed autographs, posed for selfies, and was awarded the very first VCS Signature Gold Medal — now officially named the Hikaru Nakamura Medal 🥇. A truly unforgettable day for all our young players!
Elliot McCallum Wins Gold at the FIDE World School Championships 2023! 🥇
Huge congratulations to our Grade 1 Provincial Champion, Elliot McCallum, on his sensational victory in the U7 category at the FIDE World School Championships 2023 in Rhodes, Greece (April 13–23). A proud moment for Elliot, VCS, and the entire Canadian chess community!
Elliot McCallum Presents VCS Signature Medal to Super GM Wesley So 🌟
At the 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship, 9-year-old Elliot McCallum proudly awarded the VCS Signature Medal to Super GM Wesley So, celebrating his brilliance, sportsmanship, and inspiration to young players worldwide. A powerful symbol of respect across generations — from a rising talent to a living legend. 🙌♟️
Zhu Chen, 9th Women's World Chess Champion, Supports VCS.
We are proud to have the long-time support of Zhu Chen, the 9th Women's World Chess Champion. Over the years, we've exchanged ideas, class materials, and curriculum with her, strengthening our mission to provide world-class chess education. In this video Zhu Chen wishes all the best to the students and parents of Vancouver Chess School in their chess journey.
Our 3 pillars of excellence
Proven 12-Level Curriculum
Our structured program ensures that every student - beginner to advanced - follows a clear path to mastery. Each level builds on the last, developing logic, tactics and strategic thinking.
World-Class student success
We've taught over 5,000 students, with multiple National & Regional Champions - and 3 World Champions and 3 FIDE Masters trained at our school. Your child joins a winning tradition.
Innovative Chess platform & Games
Our Chess heroes platform offers interactive lessons, challenges and rewards, on a state of the art custom-built platform, designed to engage and motivate young learners.
What parents are saying
Vancouver Chess School is not just a chess school. It is a place where children foster many different skills such as decision making, adapting to a competitive environment, and an opportunity to give ...
A great chess school. Our kid Leon attended his very first chess tournament in this school three years ago and now won his provincial champion and represent BC to win his first national champion. For ...
I love vanchess! It taught my brother endgame techniques that he never knew about and tactics. I appreciate vanchess for its effective teachings. It is very good!...
My kids really love this school。The teacher are very professional, very Patient, very methodical. So that kids can go from not doing anything at first to now very like chess. And now with pandemic, ...
Our older son got curious about chess earlier this year - in the middle of the pandemic - and so we were happy to learn that Vanchess offered all classes in virtual form. After some cautious initial a...
Vancouver chess school is a top quality chess school in the lower mainland. It provides systematical training to students through excellent teachers. For only two years, my kid improves a lot and beco...
We've been taking our daughter to Vancouver Chess School for the last 4 years or so. She loves chess and this school and its teachers are a large part of why. The teachers at this school take a person...
Friendly and helpful teachers. They organized many tournament for different level chess players. Helped my kid improve chess skills!...
We joined Vancouver Chess School after watching the movie.. "Finding Bobby Fischer". Our son, who was then learning chess online with a chess instructor based outside of Canada, was ready fo...
The school has a good structure for kids to learn and excel in chess, at the same time also have lots of fun!...
It was very fun. I just had my first lesson there, and it was super fun. I am in level one chess, and I really enjoyed it. I would totally do the rest of the levels there. It was super fun and you sho...
Vancouver chess school offers the chess expertise and flexible class schedule both online and in person classes. My son enjoys her chess mates time very much and recommend to whom you may just start u...
It is the de facto place to go for chess class in Vancouver. My kid got into chess after in-school chess class from VanChess, and has been going to their group and private classes for years. They ha...
At the Vancouver Chess School, students learn much more than Chess!! It is a fun, inclusive and welcoming school, where students have the opportunity to compete at a high level, but more importantly ...
A definite recommend for all families with children interested to learn or further develop their skills in chess. Our 6 year old son participated in the summer camp offered by Vancouver Chess School a...
Vancouver Chess School is fantastic! VCS is very well organized, structured, and provides learners of all levels with opportunities and support to improve their skills.. or to just have fun playing c...
Very good chess school; it provides many opportunities for kids to practice chess with others. My child made much progress there. Thanks a lot for teacher and school!...
The Camps are very interesting, you get to do a lot of fun chess activities, like class games, puzzles, and learn new openings. There are also CMA rated tournaments on Fridays....
The camp at VCS is an amazing experience for all ages. Whether your child is 5 or 15, there is a variety of opportunities of learning. Completely approve of the camp and believe in its ability to impa...
My son attend this chess place in 2 weeks, and he has already achieved ore knight level. He cannot wait to go back there everyday....
Explore our programs for every
young chess player
Group Lessons
Small groups led by experienced coaches. Kids progress through our 12-Level curriculum with games, fun homework, and teamwork.
Join a Group lesson
Private Lessons
One-on-one coaching tailored to your child's strengths. Get rapid progress and personalized attention at every step.
Book a Private lesson
Tournaments
From beginners to national contenders - our rated events help kids sharpen skills and boost confidence in a fun, supportive setting.
Join a TournamentStart your chess journey
in 4 easy steps
Take the test
Find your child's level with our free online assessment.
Register
Create your student account in our secure platform.
Try a lesson
Book a free trial class to get started.
Enjoy!
Watch your child grow in confidence
and skill.
Our Unique Chess Learning Methodology:
A Pathway to Mastery
At Chess Heroes Academy, we believe every child learns best when they're challenged and inspired. That's why we built a 12-level system tailored to their unique pace - whether they're just starting or already making brilliant moves.
Our level system
Beginner
Beginner
What chess teaches your child -
on and off the board
Take the test
Find your child's level with our free online assessment.
Focus, memory & concentration
By remembering strategies and analyzing opponents, kids sharpen focus and build memory - essential for school success.
Academic performance
Studies show chess improves math, reading, logic, and critical thinking - all leading to stronger academic outcomes.
Confident decision - making
In chess, kids learn to assess risks and make choices under pressure - building judgment they'll use far beyond the board.
Where Play Builds Real Skills
it's a powerful learning tool.
