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 daughter has been taking chess for a number of years now. Gyan has been very supportive since day 1 and allowed her to progress at her pace. With heavy school workload, my daughter managed to res...
The best chess school in Vancouver....
This is a great chess school for kids to learn and grow up in. I am so happy we made the right choice 4 years ago. When my son told me he was interested in chess, I enrolled him in Vancouver Chess sc...
Great chess school! My son Sky loves learning and playing chess at VCS....
Overall, VCS is a great school with amazing coaches at various levels. Highly recommended to all kids and adults interested in chess improvements. We taught our daughter the game of chess during th...
The best school ever! My daughter loves her chess classes about 3 years! Thanks for teacher ...
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...
This is a great place if your kid is interested in chess, or you want them to develop their interests. It’s not just a school, but feels more like a community. My son loves Sunday chess club. He get...
My son joined Vancouver Chess School this year and he loves it! I regretted not sending him earlier. The classes are well-structured, the programs are well-organized, and the teachers are all very nic...
All the teachers are very talented and patient with kids. My kid excels at this school very fast. There are online and in person classes and tournaments that can accommodate everyone. I highly recomme...
VCS is a very good school for all age chess learners. It provides a resourceful topics on chess and there are many tournaments that you might not even have time to play all of them!...
This is a great place to let your child learn playing chess. The teachers are extremely friendly and experienced. The school is well organized with different levels and tournament opportunities, very ...
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...
My son started his first chess lesson at Vancouver Chess School at age 5. Continuing on, now at age 9, chess is still his favorite subject among all. There are many good things about Vancouver Chess ...
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...
This school has helped me a lot with my chess journey, starting at pawn level, I mean what I say below genuinely. Staff: The backbone of the institution, the staff and coaches are friendly, genuine, ...
My son started chess classes here from 5 years old. He told me it is a good place to learn chess. Actually, he has made big progress on it. He also said, his coach Uranchmeg is a really awesome tea...
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 ...
My son started chess class at VCS 2 years ago and had loads of fun. The chess school arranges class systematically and strategically which ensures the kids build up solid foundation for the next level...
My son has been taking chess lessons with VCS for almost five years. He loves it and has been making big progress here. I would like to recommend VCS....
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
Alexander Stirling has been promoted to Knight level.
Elliot Stirling has been promoted to Knight level.
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.
