» Crafts & Hobbies

» Chess Lessons

Chess Lessons - Online, Group, and Private Options Available

TakeLessons experts are ready to teach. Get a deal on a private or group lesson, or browse on-demand content 24/7 for free.

Find your class

Private lessons with top Chess instructors

Dive right in and start getting results with 1-on-1 lessons from expert Chess instructors.

See more instructors

Kyle B.

Kyle B.

I'm a passionate chess player and full-time chess coach with an extensive knowledge of chess theory who specializes in teaching beginner/intermediate (up to ~1600 USCF) players of all ages. Lessons will be personalized to focus on student's weaknesses and areas of needed improvement, as well as generalized chess instruction. In our lessons, we'll analyze full games (games that you've played as well as master-level games), study opening and endgame theory, and practice tactical motifs to improve all aspects of your play. Chess is a great platform to improve critical thinking skills and one's ability to focus, as well as a great way to have fun. As an adult learner, I understand that getting into chess (especially later in life) can be a bit daunting. I'm here to help remove the stress from chess learning and to make the process fun and enjoyable. My lessons will help you or your children gain a deeper understanding of the art of chess and improve your confidence and ability to play the game.

Victoria N.

Victoria N.

Teaching Experience 13+ years - Lead Chess Instructor in elementary/middle school (New York City 2017 - present time) - Lead Pudong brunch Chess Instructor (Shanghai 2016 - 2017) - Lead Chess Instructor (Chicago 2010-2016) - Educating students through private and semi-private lessons online and live since 2009 - Teaching in private/public schools on elementary and middle school levels since 2010 - Teaching intensive courses in chess camps for all levels and age groups 2010 - present time Playing experience - European Rapid Chess Youth Champion Girls U-18 2009 - #1 US Top Girls Under 21 2012 - Finished fourth in the U.S. Women's Championships in 2012, 2015 - Part of the U.S. National Team at Women's World Team Championship 2013, 2015 - Represented the U.S. team at the match USA against China 2013 - Life Master since 2012; Original Life Master since 2017

Andrew H.

Andrew H.

I am a passionate chess coach available for instruction of all levels. I have been teaching for over 10 years in many schools and training private students. I have helped establish top chess teams recently including NEST+M, PS33, and Success Academy. Several of my students achieved highest performance awards - top 100 in the country, two of which are now rated as high as 2300. I have taught an advanced class with chess world champion Magnus Carlsen. I make learning and playing chess enjoyable and fun. I have achieved a Candidate Master title with FIDE and USCF ratings of approximately 2100. I have a business degree in finance from Bentley University and have worked several years on Wall Street. I enjoy all aspects of risk management and how it combines elements along with chess. I love working with children and have a strong track record of making many strong relationships. You will not find a more dedicated coach. My average student gains 200-800 points in strength quickly! Please feel free to contact me.

Savetha C.

Savetha C.

Welcome to Riyaa School of Chess! About your tutor: My name is Savetha and I'm a professional chess player. Current USCF rating 2129 (USCF ID : 16699312). I've been playing chess since 1997 and I love what I do! Notable achievements: In US Women top 100 list. (46th as per Sep 2019) Commonwealth Bronze medalist (Delhi) World Youth Team Silver Medalist (Russia) Best Women Award (Spain) Best Female Player (Singapore) Mississippi Open State 3rd Mississippi Women Chess Champion I focus on quality teaching on a 1 on 1 basis and making the learning experience the best to improve your chess skills.

Daniel M.

Daniel M.

I am an avid chess player. I am a 3rd category chess player. I am part of the Chess Federation in Peru and USA. I can teach little kids as well as to people who want to improve their openings, middle game, and endgame. My Rating is 1500+.

Danial A.

Danial A.

At age 11 I achieved the title of Master, and since then have become an International Master (with 1 Grandmaster norm), 5-time National Champion and am currently the #1 18-year-old on the west coast of the United States. Without chess instruction from the most patient, inspiring, and hardworking chess coaches none of this would have been possible. I began to play chess at 7 years old and after my coach ended our first class by saying, "Every champion was once a beginner" my youthful imagination ran wild and I was hooked. My early development in chess proved to be nontraditional where my structured classes provided by my school were supplemented by the aggressive, unconventional playing styles I learned from spending my weekends sneaking games in with hustlers at my local chess park. Yet learning these vastly different approaches to the game allowed me to become a more complete player, and after 6 weeks of practice, I could beat every kid in my class and almost defeated my coach. Fast forward to my first competition I lost every game and finished in last place, but I loved every second of it and quickly learned from those mistakes. Now, I have defeated numerous world-renowned Grandmasters and played some of the best in the world including world champion Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. My peak United States Chess Federation and International Chess Federation ratings are 2425 and 2340 respectively, awarding me the titles of International Master and FIDE Master (top 0.43% in the world). I founded a School of Chess and have taught for 4 years in chess camps across the state with 100's of students ranging from 5-85 years old. One of my biggest teaching accomplishments is assisting one of my students to go from #117 in the country to #13 in the country (gained 500 rating points) for their age group in a matter of 5 months! In addition, two of my students went from 1500-2000+ achieving the master title in less than a year! After receiving many hours of coaching myself (even from Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand) and improving to where I am today, I can guarantee I can help you get to the next level. My personalized approach, creating lessons tailored to each individual, dramatically improves players' weaknesses at an accelerated pace. I specialize in thinking through problems along with my students, and fostering understanding rather than memorization. If you are ready to improve your Chess don’t hesitate to shoot me a message! * Currently I am teaching a free chess camp for 160 kids from across the country as well as a group of refugees who recently immigrated to Northern California with the goal of motivating communities to come together through education and to inspire hope during the COVID time period. *

Atousa P.

Atousa P.

Learn Chess from a Woman Chess Grand Master! She's been teaching chess from beginner to advanced level for more than 10 years. She's been playing chess professionally Since 1996.

Cindle V.

Cindle V.

I am ranked as a top female chess player and have played the game for most of my life. I have played in many national, state, and local tournaments and placed well. I have been teaching students of all ages for over 15 years. I make lessons fun and enjoyable but also very understandable. I teach all levels and ages. This is a great game and I believe anyone can benefit from learning the game of chess.

See more instructors

Show More

Learn anything, anytime.

Fuel your curiosity: Explore the arts and sciences, learn new skills, and so much more.

Flexible pricing to meet your needs

Our learning experiences are meant to meet your budget—and your first one is on us.

Hundreds of subjects

Choose your course: explore the arts and sciences, learn day-to-day skills, and so much more

Thousands of trusted experts

Know you’re learning from the best. Every TakeLessons instructor is background-checked by Microsoft.

Unlimited ways to learn

Get 1:1 lessons, drop in on live classes, or just read up—you set the pace.

Select private lesson

Private lessons

Private not selected

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Try the first lessons (private or group) and if you're not satisfied, we'll find you a better match or refund unused lessons. Exceptions apply Learn more

Great instructor! Very knowledgeable and patient. He expands on any question you might have so you walk away from the lesson with a true understanding of the exercises.

Dominique (Chess lessons with Lawrence B.)

Great Instructor, very knowledgeable, very positive experience as my chess teacher, extremely patient.

Andre Kirkendoll (Chess lessons with Lawrence B.)

Very knowledgeable. Great Style

Steve Kaufman (Chess lessons with Lawrence B.)

Lawrence is the best and passionate chess teacher. He finds articles and other things that really help my son chess skills. I can contact him and schedule lesson as needed. My son loves and eagerly w

Subbu Posa (Chess lessons with Lawrence B.)

Popular Chess videos

Watch free videos from your favorite instructors, on-demand, anytime

See more videos

Kyle B.

Tournament Rules in Chess

Jessica U.

Opening Principles in Chess

Kyle B.

Learning Chess Middle Game

Jessica U.

How to Move Pieces in Chess

Jessica U.

Learning Chess End Games

Kyle B.

Basics of Calculation in Chess

Siddharth G.

Chess Lesson 2 - Castling, En Passant, and Stalemate

Victoria G.

Sneak Preview of "Chess Magic for Beginners"!

Siddharth G.

How To Play Chess

Siddharth G.

Chess Openings and Tactical Ideas

Siddharth G.

Opening Game and Tactical Ideas

Victoria G.

Victoria W. on Children and Chess

Trending Chess Articles

https://takelessons.com/blog/2021/02/chess-openings-how-to-start-your-game-strong

Chess Openings & How To Start Your Game Strong

https://takelessons.com/blog/2021/02/6-tips-for-improving-your-chess-game

6 Tips For Improving Your Chess Game

https://takelessons.com/blog/2021/02/5-chess-moves-that-will-surprise-your-opponent

5 Chess Moves That Will Surprise Your Opponent

https://takelessons.com/blog/2021/03/chess-rules-a-beginners-guide

Chess Rules: a Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

https://takelessons.com/blog/2021/02/5-chess-moves-to-up-your-endgame

5 Chess Moves to Up Your Endgame

Chess Lessons

The game of chess is based on an Indian game called chaturanga, which was played more than 1,500 years ago! The game evolved over the years as it passed through Asia and Europe.

Today, we’re still infatuated with this game of strategy as students—both young and old—are eager to learn to play chess. If you fall into that category, then check out our chess lessons. We offer in-person sessions, along with virtual classes, which some consider the best online chess lessons around! Sign up with us today to learn with a certified teacher.

Certified Chess Teachers

Here at TakeLessons, we know how important it is to study with a tutor who understands your needs and learning style, and that’s why we invite you to choose your preferred chess teacher.

We feature an assortment of chess teachers who are all certified and have undergone background checks. To find your ideal match, explore their profiles. You can see everything from their qualifications and expertise to their availability and rates.

It’s our goal to offer affordable sessions, so our lessons vary between $15 and $210. On average, the cost of a 60-minute session is $72, while a half-hour class is $41.

Chess Online Lessons for All Ages

While chess is fun for students of all ages, studies have found that when children learn this game, it can help improve their attention span, enhance their visual memory, and increase their spatial-awareness abilities. As for adults, it can boost their problem-solving skills and potentially decrease their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Because there are so many mental benefits to learning this game, we offer chess lessons for kids and adults. Our tutors gear their sessions to the student’s age group, ensuring they get the most out of each personalized lesson.

Chess Lessons for All Levels

The beauty of chess is that there’s always something new you can learn about the game, no matter how familiar you are with it. Even if you’ve played for years, you might not know about a certain trap or strategy. Since there are so many different levels when it comes to this game, we teach students of all skill sets.

New to the game? Sign up for our chess lessons for beginners to learn the basics. Already have a few years under your belt? Check out our more advanced classes. We’ll help you find a suitable course for you and your needs!

Sample Curriculum for Beginner Chess Lessons

Your chess teacher might cover the following subjects in your chess lessons for beginners:

Learn the rules of the game
Study opening strategies
Learn how to apply opening strategies to play
Understand counting
Open vs. closed positions

Sample Curriculum for Intermediate Chess Lessons

Your intermediate chess tutor might cover the following topics:

The Petroff Defense
Playing fluid positions
Learn to develop pieces
Understand the concept of delayed attacks
Finding your opponent's weak spots

Sample Curriculum for Advanced Chess Lessons

The subjects studied in advanced lessons depend greatly on each student's goals and interests, but your teacher might choose to cover the following topics:

Recognize and avoid traps or poised pawns
Study the game's dynamics and tension
Learn to make highly strategic exchanges
Use computer chess to explore strategies
Competition and tournament preparation

Sign up Today

Chess is a wonderful game, and it’s high time you signed up for our in-person or online chess lessons to learn all the ins and outs of it. Doing so is easy: Select your tutor, pick your class time, choose your package, and know that you can take advantage of our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

FAQ

What are the best chess lessons?

We might be biased, but we think we offer the best chess lessons around right here at TakeLessons. That’s because we only work with certified and background-checked tutors who have the qualifications to teach you this strategic game. When you take our private lessons, you’ll receive your tutor’s undivided attention, which means you can ask all your questions and focus on whatever areas of this game interest or challenge you the most. But don’t just take our word for it—check out our reviews to see what past students are saying about our instructors.

How can I teach myself to play chess?

If you want to teach yourself to play chess, we suggest signing up for private chess lessons. During your private session, your teacher will determine what you already know about this game and what you’d like to know in order to create a personalized lesson plan for you. Never played before? No problem. Your private tutor will start with the basics, informing you of all the rules and opening strategies. No matter where you are in your journey, our tutors take the stress out of learning this game.

Are there free chess courses?

While you might come across free courses, paying for chess lessons is a wise investment. You’ll receive a lot more value out of these lessons than free courses because you get the opportunity to work one-on-one with a private tutor who is dedicated to helping you succeed.

At TakeLessons, we don’t offer free courses, but it’s our mission to keep our lessons affordable for all our students, no matter their budget. Our lessons range from $15 to $210 an hour, depending on your specific needs, the teacher, location, and lesson type.