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
My son really like this school, the coaches there are patient and professional, he's made a huge improvement during these two years....
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...
Vancouver Chess School is an outstanding institution for children’s chess education at any age. I was amazed how VCS team could maintain the tempo during the pandemic and continues to teach chess le...
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...
This chess class rocks! Even in the online setup, Tadas and Gyan Awatramani keep the kids hooked with their amazing skills. They organize regular online chess competitions that keep the excitement ali...
I have been a student at this academy for many years now and has guided me to many achievements. The academy helped me with my university applications as I can put the awards I received and competitio...
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...
VCS is amazing place for both children who are just starting or experienced. Instructors are great, very encouraging and supportive in children's journey. As a parent with no chess experience I had a ...
In Vancouver Chess School, there has a complete and systematic chess education system, rich and interesting practice resources, and tournaments for all levels players weekly and monthly. Most importan...
Coaches are nice and friendly and they help out whenever we need it....
My Son started attending their online classes for the past 4 months. This has been an exciting and insightful experience learning the nuances of the game, strategies and new ways of approaching a pro...
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...
Vancouver chess school is best chess school in Vancouver! My son starting private chess class with wonderful teacher Ms. Urna since 6 years old, right now he is 8 years old, chess is still his famous ...
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...
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...
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 ...
You guys are fantastic! So attuned to students and eager to help. It’s a pleasure to communicate with all members of your team. Robert enjoys his training so much and he feels motivated to learn mor...
I love vanchess! It taught my brother endgame techniques that he never knew about and tactics. I appreciate vanchess for its effective teachings....
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...
We have been thrilled with the experience our son Gabriel has had at Vancouver Chess School. The organization of the educational process is outstanding, ensuring a high-quality learning environment. A...
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.
Top performers
Celebrating the achievements of our rising stars - students who've stood out in recent tournaments and events.
William Weng
Krithigdev Lakshmanakumar
Roham Rahimi
Lev Finkel
King of the Hill
Stephanie Shao
Queen of the Hill
Lev Finkel
Fire Streak King
Celebrating students achievements
Curtis Leung
Curtis Leung has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
JACK XU
JACK XU has been promoted to Bishop level.
Julien Pattison
Julien Pattison has been promoted to Advanced Beginner level.
William Lima
William Lima has been promoted to Advanced Beginner level.
Lucas Hsieh
Lucas Hsieh has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
Raymond Sui
Raymond Sui has been promoted to Rook level.
Niko Chen
Niko Chen has been promoted to Pre-Rook level.
Caden Ho
Caden Ho has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
Dylan Li
Dylan Li has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
Echo Fang
Echo Fang has been promoted to Pre-Rook level.
Our events
