Vancouver Chess School
Chess background

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?

3
World
Champions
Titles
3
FIDE masters
17+
Years of
Experience
5K+
Students
9K+
Tournaments
17K+
Lessons
170+
Five-star
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.

Curriculum illustration

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.

Student success illustration

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.

Chess platform illustration

What parents are saying

x g
Apr 28, 2022
Google 5 stars

Looking for a place to develop my son chess skills. Found Vancouver Chess School, Best choice ever. Great online class, Competitive chess event to keep things interesting for kids. If your kids like c...

Jie Chen
Jun 30, 2023
Google 5 stars

The best chess school in Vancouver....

Nolan Males
Mar 30, 2023
Google 5 stars

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...

Winnie Li
Apr 28, 2022
Google 5 stars

Wow! The Vancouver Chess School is such a great place for children to learn Chess! Awesome coaches and amazing programs! The coaches are very professional and experienced....

Jiyang Gao
Jan 24, 2021
Google 5 stars

I first got to know Vancouver Chess School when I registered my son for the VCS’ Chess in School program in 2016. I simply wanted to expose him to an extracurricular activity, but I didn’t expect ...

Vania Cheng
May 16, 2021
Google 5 stars

Vancouver Chess School is a really well run chess school, with kind and dedicated coaches. It teaches students from complete beginners to much higher levels. VCS has made a seamless transition to teac...

Wendy Yuan
Apr 20, 2023
Google 5 stars

Our son has spent his last two years in VCS. It is first time we’ve seen our son become so dedicated and passionate about something. We can tell he loves chess and he is improving himself on all asp...

Si Chen
Jun 18, 2020
Google 5 stars

My son has been learning chess in VSC for more than two years. He gained a lot of chess strategies and practice opportunities there. The most important thing is that my son is inspired all the time t...

Andrew Eisenberg
May 24, 2022
Google 5 stars

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...

Praveen Lazer
Nov 10, 2021
Google 5 stars

Vanchess has been really helping my son to stay focused and helping him to build confidence. So far I am really happy with my son's progress and looking forward to participating in their future camps ...

T Low
Jan 4, 2021
Google 5 stars

Vancouver Chess School has been a blessing to our family and to the Chess Community. The instruction has been top notch and we love the fact that the school regularly has chess competitions. The schoo...

Jiankun Li
Nov 18, 2023
Google 5 stars

Strongly recommend National Preparation Program workshop at Vancouver Chess School by Coach Gyan and Coach Maxim, their lectures are concise and dig into deep concept in a easy to understand way for t...

Gem Yu
Jul 12, 2021
Google 5 stars

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 ...

Kelly Meng
Mar 19, 2021
Google 5 stars

My son enjoys learning chess from this school and has been in this school more than 3 years. The teachers are very kind, respectful and professional. My son loves to attend the classes there. All the...

Preeti Jaiman
Mar 11, 2021
Google 5 stars

My son and daughter, aged 8 and 10, are members of VCS. They joined in 2019 April and since then they have enjoyed their lessons with Mr. G. VanChess has an online platform where chess puzzles, homewo...

Eugenia Jacobs
Feb 23, 2022
Google 5 stars

The best school ever! My daughter loves her chess classes about 3 years! Thanks for teacher ...

Katherine Yang
Jun 16, 2022
Google 5 stars

Great chess school. Provided many training sessions, coaching, and encouragement for the players of the 2022 Canadian Chess Challenge. We really appreciate it. Thank you, Vancouver Chess School!...

Serena Wang
Jan 28, 2025
Google 5 stars

We highly recommend Vancouver Chess School, where the child has been studying for more than a year and has made great progress. The teachers are conscientious and constantly motivate the children t...

Grateful li
Jan 26, 2023
Google 5 stars

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....

Matthew Du
Aug 8, 2022
Google 5 stars

Incredible chess centre! I grew up with this place and do not regret a second!!!...

All reviews

5 stars

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Explore our programs for every
young chess player

Group Lessons

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

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

Tournaments

From beginners to national contenders - our rated events help kids sharpen skills and boost confidence in a fun, supportive setting.

Join a Tournament

Start your chess journey
in 4 easy steps

Test icon

Take the test

Find your child's level with our free online assessment.

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Register

Create your student account in our secure platform.

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Try a lesson

Book a free trial class to get started.

Enjoy icon

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.

Assessment

Not sure which program
is right for you?

Take our quick free online test

Take the test

Our level system

Absolute
Beginner
Beginner
Advanced
Beginner
Pre-Knigt
Knight
Pre-Bishop
Bishop
Pre-Rook
Rook
Pre-Queen
Queen
King
Chess teaches

What chess teaches your child -
on and off the board

Test icon

Take the test

Find your child's level with our free online assessment.

Test icon

Focus, memory & concentration

By remembering strategies and analyzing opponents, kids sharpen focus and build memory - essential for school success.

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Academic performance

Studies show chess improves math, reading, logic, and critical thinking - all leading to stronger academic outcomes.

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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

Chess Heroes is more than a game —
it's a powerful learning tool.
Through fun challenges, quests, and battles, students sharpen their critical thinking, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills — all while staying engaged and motivated.
With unlimited practice in tactics, positional play, and endgames, every move helps them grow — both as chess players and thinkers.
A smart, safe, and enriching way for kids to build real skills while having fun.
Your Strength, Your Journey –
Make It Legendary

Top performers

Celebrating the achievements of our rising stars - students who've stood out in recent tournaments and events.

King of the Hill

Ilyana Versi

King of the Hill

Queen of the Hill

Chloe Li

Queen of the Hill

Fire Streak King

Ares Jin

Fire Streak King

Celebrating students achievements

Paris Chen

Paris Chen has been promoted to Knight level.

Brian Zang

Brian Zang has been promoted to Advanced Beginner level.

Aarshia Gupta

Aarshia Gupta has been promoted to Knight level.

JACK XU

JACK XU has been promoted to Pre-Bishop level.

Karl Aguirre

Karl Aguirre has been promoted to Rook level.

Charlie Tang

Charlie Tang has been promoted to Rook level.

Echo Fang

Echo Fang has been promoted to Bishop level.

Tamen Abbaspour

Tamen Abbaspour has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.

Yaroslav Nyshpor

Yaroslav Nyshpor has been promoted to Pre-Rook level.

Shenyou Yang

Shenyou Yang has been promoted to Pre-Bishop level.

Our events

Play. Improve. Repeat.

04Jun
Prime Time Battle

04Jun
Over the Board. Real Battles.

05Jun
Best starting tournament!

06Jun
Turn Practice Into Performance

07Jun
⭐ Daily Puzzles