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 just completed a chess camp at VCS and had a great experience. He was really pleased with the way the camp was run and noted how enthusiastic Gyan and the other instructors were in maximizing t...
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 ...
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 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 ...
A very good chess school! Urna is not only a champion but also an instructor who knows how to teach very young children. My daughter is a Kindergartener; she loves to come to the chess classes every S...
The best school ever! My daughter loves her chess classes about 3 years! Thanks for teacher ...
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...
We settled in Vancouver last year, and since our child has experienced in China for 6 years, we hope to continue his interest in Vancouver. We are grateful to VCS for their weekly chess classes and fr...
Vancouver Chess school is best chess academy in Vancouver. They have very talented staff. The events are well organized. They have excellent virtual chess platform. I am glad that we enrolled our chi...
Nice coaches and structure arrangement to guide the kids from beginners to experienced chess player. Regular chess competition can promote the interests of the kids to do better. When my boy got highe...
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...
As a volunteer assistant coach of the chess camps, I felt the genuine trust and support from the teachers! The instructors gave every assistant coach some time every camp to teach the class some conce...
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...
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....
It’s really good, it helped me achieve so much in just a couple months!...
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 kids had wanted to join VCS classes at Jericho for some time, and the availability of online classes during the pandemic provided the opportunity to overcome scheduling barriers. My 6 year old da...
Vancouver Chess School is a highly professional chess school. The teachers in the school are approachable and dedicated on teaching, which provides kids a great milieu of learning chess. Many students...
My son just started taking classes at VCS last year. He got promoted to pre-bishop recently. It’s quite an achievement for a beginner just started play chess couple of months ago. VCS provides effec...
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...
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.
Youssef Mahmoud
River Liu
King of the Hill
Wynston Hirji
Queen of the Hill
River Liu
Fire Streak King
Wynston Hirji
Fire Streak Queen
Celebrating students achievements
John Lan
John Lan has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
NiklasYu Chen
NiklasYu Chen has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
Kevin Liu
Kevin Liu has been promoted to Knight level.
Echo Fang
Echo Fang has been promoted to Knight level.
Jacob Shi
Jacob Shi has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
Shenyou Yang
Shenyou Yang has been promoted to Knight level.
Niko Chen
Niko Chen has been promoted to Bishop level.
Youssef Mahmoud
Youssef Mahmoud has been promoted to Pre-Knight level.
Sophie Zhu
Sophie Zhu has been promoted to Beginners with some knowledge level.
Jianwen Hua
Jianwen Hua has been promoted to Advanced Beginner level.
Our events
