Frequently Asked Questions

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Subscription Management

  • You can change, cancel, or pause your membership by clicking on the Manage Subscription (or right here!) at the bottom of the page. You can pause your plan up to 3 months with no additional fees, or cancel and rejoin at any time.

  • Need to move from a Standard Plan to a Basic Plan? You can make the change by filling out this form, also found under “Manage Subscription” at the bottom of the page.

  • Once your student has completed a trial class you are welcome to ask the coach if they are in the correct level; from there just stop by our front desk to get more details on our plans!

Classes and Open Play

  • No, you cannot go to any location. But if you signed up for a plan at a location and want to change to a different location, the change is easy! Just fill out this form (which you can also find at the bottom of the page underneath Manage Subscription), and we will handle the rest!

  • Yes! Play memberships are valid at any location, and we look forward to seeing you at our tournaments or open play nights.

  • INTRO lessons are designed for children who do not know the rules. PAWN classes are for children who only know the rules. KNIGHT classes are for children who have had up to 1 semester of formal instruction in chess strategy, while kids at BISHOP level and above are generally playing seriously and have ratings.

  • Once a student has taken all the lessons in a level, they will be eligible to take the exam to promote to the next level. At the coaches’ discretion or by request/rating, the test can sometimes be administered early.

  • Class is broken down into four parts. First, we lecture on a topic for 15-20 minutes. Second, we show historical master games (maybe a World Champion used the same strategy in the past in their games). Third, we will do some worksheet problems so students can prove they fully comprehend the topic. And finally, we dedicate the remaining time for peer-to-peer play, in order to practice their new theory over a real game.

    We have a set curriculum that updates every Monday with a new lesson topic.

  • Our average class size is around 5-15 students per instructor.

  • No, while we do not require students to participate in our tournaments, we do highly recommend it in order to strengthen your students!

  • All coaches teach from the same curriculum cycle, so even if a coach is absent or changes, the students will get the correct lesson anyway–but we try to keep the same coaches at each class time anyway!

  • Our classes have “rolling” enrollment, so you can sign them up at any time in the year and once they have completed every lesson in the level, they can take the test to promote to the next level.

  • No, our class schedule is meant to accommodate busy schedules and allow the most convenient options for parents.

Tournaments

  • First tournament? Great! First, you’ll need to become a US Chess Federation member and get a USCF ID that you can obtain from their website here. Once you have your ID, you can pick what tournament works best for you on our tournament page.

    We provide all notation sheets, pencils, chessboards, and clocks at our locations; you don’t need to bring anything, but we recommend bringing your own water bottle. We look forward to seeing you there!

  • A FIDE ID is issued by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and tracks a players’ global performance and rating. A USCF ID is issued by the United States Chess Federation (USCF) and is specific to players within the United States. If you are signing up for a FIDE tournament, and only have a USCF ID, don’t worry! Just sign up and fill out your information, and we will help you get a FIDE ID!

  • Not at all, our tournaments are open to the general public, anyone can attend/participate!

  • No, while we do not require students to participate in our tournaments, we do highly recommend it in order to strengthen your students!

Check-in, Check-out Procedures

  • We prefer if your student is under the age of 9 that you stick around till the end of class/tournament - also that they either know your phone number by memory or have a cell phone.

  • No, attendance is checked every day during class.

  • Yes, you must check your student both in and out of Open Play. If your student is above 12, they may check themselves in,