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Premium Classes

Not all chess instruction is created with children in mind. Chess4Life Premium Classes are designed specifically for kids to help them build a strong foundation while avoiding bad habits on and off the chessboard. With trained and certified coaches adhering to the Chess4Life curriculum, your child will develop a passion for the game while developing skills like planning, focus, and sportsmanship that will serve them for a lifetime.

While some chess instructors focus on memorization and hyper-competitive attitudes, Chess4Life Coaches train players to feel confident playing from any position and to view every opponent as an opportunity to learn and better themselves as chess players. Every student’s progress is tracked through our detailed chess curriculum at all 6 Levels on their individual Achievement Chart, encouraging players to succeed at their own pace while having fun!

Premium Classes
Program Overview

Weekly, small-group classes meet for one hour of chess instruction and practice time with a dedicated coach who tracks individual progress. Tuition is billed on a monthly subscription basis and guarantees 4 classes per month. Classes are offered in 6 Levels from Pawn Level to King Level based on skill (Level descriptions below).

Program Highlights

Small Class Sizes

Maximum of 12 students (10 for beginners) with 1 coach and 1 support coach

Individual Progress Tracking

Track completed curriculum topics on your digital Achievement Chart

In-Person & Online

Classes offered in Bellevue & Issaquah, WA, as well as Online (Pacific Time)

Flexible Schedule

Convenient online make-up class scheduling up to 8 weeks in advance

6 Level Chess Curriculum

Students can start at their skill Level and then graduate to higher Levels!

Access to Play & Learn Zone

Chess4Life Learn and Play App with curriculum videos & fun activities

Level Assessment

We encourage parents to register for whichever class they feel best suits their child's skill level, and all students will receive an assessment during their first class to confirm their Level and their current progress through the Chess4Life curriculum. We will include our Level descriptions below, with some additional questions to guide your self-assessment.

Once students have registered for a Level, their coach will begin tracking their progress through the curriculum on an Achievement Chart with 20-30 curriculum topics for each Level. Students are "Introduced" to, "Reviewed" on, and finally "Qualified" in each topic before taking an official exam to graduate to the next level!

Students learn how all of the pieces move and how to use their pieces effectively in a chess game. Students learn all of the basic chess terminologies. They learn how to identify checks, checkmates, and stalemates, and how to effectively achieve a checkmate.

  1. Does your student know how all of the pieces move? Do they know how to castle?
  2. Can your student identify check, checkmate, and stalemate?
  3. Does your student correctly identify safe and unsafe squares to not lose valuable pieces during games?
  4. If yes to all of the questions above, let's move on to Knight Level! If no to any questions above, Pawn Level is the place to start!

Students dive into the vast world of chess tactics. They learn the names of the core tactics and are able to recognize these tactical patterns in games. Students begin to think two moves ahead and look at multiple moves before choosing the best one. They learn further ideas for using pieces effectively.

  1. Is your student comfortable with chess notation, or answering questions based on the named square and piece? Example: Ne8 for Knight to e8
  2. Does your student know and utilize tactics such as forks, pins, discoveries, and skewers?
  3. Does your student have an established NWRS or USCF rating from an official chess tournament?
  4. Can your student complete a Major Mate checkmate, Scholar's Mate, and King & Queen checkmate?

    If yes to all of the questions above, let's move on to Bishop Level! If no to any questions above, Knight Level is a great fit!

Students begin to understand how to create and implement strategic plans; they can identify targets and goals. Students gain a higher understanding of piece relationships; they are now looking three moves ahead. Students also learn to calculate variations and consider their opponent’s defense.

  1. Has your student participated in rated tournaments, and now has a rating of 1200 or higher (NWRS rating)?
  2. Does your student regularly think 3+ moves ahead to build solid openings, middlegames, and endgames?
  3. Is your student using multiple tactics together with a plan in mind to reach a specific endgame or checkmate pattern?

    If yes to all of the questions above, please reach out with your student's NWRS or USCF Rating ID to unlock higher levels! If no to any questions above, Bishop Level is the place to be!

Testimonials

I really feel like the coaches at Chess4Life are genuinely interested in my child's well-being. Not just in his chess skills, but also what's going on in his life, how he's doing, and how he performs outside of chess. They just really care about the kids they coach, and I really like that about Chess4Life.

- YR, Premium Chess Class parent

Chess4Life has offered him the space, coaching, and excitement to higher-order thinking skills and cognitive ability. All this is benefiting him a lot every day at school and at home. Thanks for all you do!

- YL, Premium Chess Class parent

Our son loved it and is super excited about class. He found the coaches really friendly and encouraging.

- SC, Premium Chess Class parent

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Chess Classes for Kids that Prepare them for Life.

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