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
Echo Heming Fang — World Youth Bronze! 🥉🌍
Echo finished 3rd (tied for 2nd) in Girls U7 at the 2026 FIDE World Youth Championship in Spain with 8.5 / 11! ♟️✨ So proud of you, Echo! 👏
🎖️ 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
My son wanted to take chess lessons last year before the lockdown, so I signed up for the spring term for him. I was concerned about the effectiveness of the online lessons, but it has turned out to b...
My son really like this school, the coaches there are patient and professional, he's made a huge improvement during these two years....
I represented team BC at the 2019 Canadian Chess Challenge (CCC), where I won 1st place in the toughest section of the competition. This year, Gyan personally invited me to Captain Team BC at the 2022...
Vancouver Chess School is the best chess academy. Their chess coaching methods encourage kids to learn even the most difficult aspects of the game. Not only the chess made the kids smart, but they als...
My kids enjoy learning and playing at Vancouver Chess School. Both the classes and tournaments are well-organized and the teachers are super friendly and patient. The kids are always encouraged to le...
Lots of amazing teachers and players here. My son got big progress and is really enjoying. I strongly recommend the chess school....
The school teaches professional chess technique and encourages sportsmanship. It meets where your child's level is whether it is beginner or advanced. It is an exciting journey for a child to keep imp...
VCS is a great chess school for kids. They have a lot of excellent programs, all well organized. The coaches are nice and experienced. My 8-year-old son has been there learning to play chess for more ...
Vancouver Chess school is one of the best with great education, teachers are all kind and patient with big smile....
Chess classes and tournaments at Vancouver Chess School has significantly transformed our kid's chess study journey. He started barely understanding anything about 6 months ago, and is now able to com...
Great teachers and a wonderful environment for kids to learn chess and practice in tournaments - has been an exceptional experience for our daughter....
An excellent place to learn chess! The teachers are all very professional and eager to teach their students new material. My son had a lot of fun learning at this school....
My son has been enrolled with the school for approximately 7 months now and he has really enjoyed the experience, plus he has improved his game a lot. The teaching methods adapted for children strike...
I can't express enough how much I appreciate Vancouver Chess School (VCS) for their incredible contributions to my son's chess journey. VCS stands out as the finest and most prestigious chess school i...
My son has been learning chess in Vancouver Chess School since 2018. He also participated many tournaments organized by the school, off-line and on-line. VCS provides very high-quality and systematic ...
The best teacher, patience, my child learned here from 2017, not only learns to play chess, but also exercises how to deal with various challenges, how to judge the improvement of ability, so that now...
My son joined Van Chess three years ago and now he is in grade 3. He has learned so much here and has grown from a beginner player to Bishop level already. He loved all his lessons and also playing ch...
Very good place to learn chess and playing tournaments, no matter if you’re a total beginner or really advanced. Plus, they have Summer camps for all to come too!...
My son has been taking chess lessons at the Vancouver Chess School for at least 3 years now and he absolutely loves it! The instructors are great! The materials they cover always challenges him and th...
Vancouver Chess School is a very well run and well organized endeavour, and kudos to the dedicated people running it. We'd been looking for chess classes for our son for a while but what made the diff...
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
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.
Top performers
Celebrating the achievements of our rising stars - students who've stood out in recent tournaments and events.
Celebrating students achievements
Echo Fang has been promoted to Rook level.
Travis Bleackley has been promoted to Pre-Rook level.
Julien Pattison has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
Curtis Leung has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
JACK XU has been promoted to Bishop level.
Julien Pattison has been promoted to Advanced Beginner level.
William Lima has been promoted to Advanced Beginner level.
Lucas Hsieh has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
Raymond Sui has been promoted to Rook level.
Niko Chen has been promoted to Pre-Rook level.
