Overview

REGISTER SOON! SPACE IS LIMITED TO MAINTAIN THE SET STUDENTS:COACH RATIO!

Our Mission: To introduce children of all ages to everything that Chess has to offer, socially and academically,  in the Bay Area and Beyond!

COURSES AND CAMPS FOR BRAND NEW PLAYERS:

Absolute Beginners are welcome at all In-Person Courses or should join "Level-1" - MIGHTY PAWNS Online Boot Chess Camps:

This is a LEVEL 1 Absolute Beginners Chess Camp: For BRAND NEW players only; still learning the pieces and unable to checkmate or complete a game on their own. Boot-Camp Format: 5 Daily Lessons on Zoom, 50 minutes each, Monday through Friday, most suited for players 5-11.  Registration comes with a 1-Year Gold Membership to Chesskid.com ($49 value!) if the student does not already have one. Level 1 Boot-Camps come with the expectation that students will play on their own time, so most of the 50 minute session can be dedicated to Lessons/instruction.  A Homework checklist will be presented in your Orientation email (that will arrive the Sunday before the Camp starts) to help all campers keep up with the curriculum.

Topics can include: Piece names/movement, starting position, turn-sequence, piece values, special rules, general board competencies and checks/checkmates. Combine with the first 10 video lessons on ChessKid for optimal development and support!
Most new players, age 5+, that complete a full week of Camp and has completed our 'Mighty-Pawns' practice Checklist (provided in the orientation email) should be ready to join BAC for Level 2 Individual daily Camps "Pools"!  Students that are still struggling and/or are not able to complete the suggested practice checklist may wish to repeat a BAC Level 1 Boot-Camp. 

Maximum Ratio: 10:1

New Users: Information about your ChessKid Membership will be emailed days before Camp starts (in cases of
 late registration, it will arrive ASAP) 

BAC ONLINE CHESS COURSES FOR LEVELS 2-5:

BAC Online Courses are 60 minute classes, hosted 1x per week at a designated time/day/level.  If you would like to have chess more than once per week, you may purchase multiple courses to accommodate your needs (purchasing more than one course in the same transaction triggers an automated 10% discount)

  • There are Two Course Tracks running in tandem: Track A and B.  The only difference between the tracks are the ranges of dates, so  host options in convenient intervals for new and returning families.
  • Every Online Course comes with a Gold Membership to Chesskid.com (we create and distribute). Students that already have an account with the BAC will use their Chesskid membership for all online courses going forward.
  • NEW PLAYERS (absolute beginners) are encouraged to join a Level 1-2 course where we will be splitting students who do and do not already know how to play through a game.
  • One free make up session is included per Term (using our Drop-In Clubs).
  • Bay Area Chess grants a free 1-year gold membership ($49 value) to all of our students.
Register on your preferred Schedule Track by Level and Day.​

Student to Teacher ratios are 10:1 or better. 

We look forward to having you join BAC! Spread the Word and Bring a Friend for a fun learning experience!
Prerequisites
What to Bring
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From Provider (9)
Reviews
4.3 (12)
(Online Chess Courses & Camps)
January 3, 2021 - Stacey M duke
Verified Purchase
My kid says liked that he got to learn strategies that famous people used, but there was a bit too much homework.
Bay Area Chess
January 4, 2021
Hello! Happy New Year! Thank you for your feedback. Homework expectations in BAC's classes are mere suggestions rather than mandatory, as we have to provide the path/option for highly enthused kids to stay challenged, without taking away from the fun/enjoyment of the game by adding too much pressure in the course for kids or families that prefer a more enjoyable/casual approach. Coaches may assign practice-work to keep kids on track with their learning, but we also do not grade them in a negative way for not pursuing the extra learning options. One exception may be in our Level 1 classes, which come with a few animated video-lesson assignments. These help confirm to us that the piece movements/rules are fully understood so that we can be assured kids are not left behind as the rest of the class proceeds. This may be the only case where a little outside work is expected, but overall our homework is optional practice. We hope this helps!
(Online Chess Courses & Camps)
November 4, 2020 - Yoshika Ramanujam
Verified Purchase
We really wanted to like Bay Area Chess. We signed up for two sessions. The online instruction waffles between poor and great. And my child wasn’t added to his ChessKids class group until my husband insisted they add him in the middle of his second session. The instructor was not available after class to answer questions.
I think my son has learned more watching the videos on ChessKids and playing against the robots.
It just wasn’t as good fit for us. We will stick to different ActivityHero classes from now.
Bay Area Chess
November 22, 2020
Hello, Thank you for your feedback and we apologize if the course didn't work out for you in the end. We are surprised since our interactions were very pleasant at the time of both your August and October registrations, with high marks from the coach as well. It's important for us to point out that your case was unique in that you joined an active course on the second week via prorate option and also opted not to use the BAC ChessKid Gold membership unbeknownst to the coach, so we had to import your preferred account after the session. We are glad that we were able to accommodate your custom requests and thank you for joining us for 2 trimesters this Fall. We hope your child finds success in the pursuit of chess. Sincerely, BayAreaChess
(Online Chess Courses & Camps)
August 23, 2020 - Smitha Prasad
Verified Purchase
My son enjoyed the camp and he learnt new techniques. The instructors were very encouraging. Thank you.
Bay Area Chess
November 17, 2020
Hello! Thank you very much for your feedback. We look forward to having Akshay join us for our upcoming Holiday Camps and Chess Courses! Sincerely, BayAreaChess Team
Questions & Answers
Can my kids switch levels after camps start if they find it too easy? My son is between level 2 and 3 and I signed him up for 2. (Online Chess Courses & Camps) -
asked on Jun 25, 2020
Jun 25, 2020 - BAC Bayareachess
We do recommend entering at Level 2, if you are not certain about your child's current level in chess, and if your child has already taken some chess lessons/has previously attended chess camp. If Level 2 appears too easy, we can suggest a move ( if there is a space!) during the same week of camp, or switch to the next level for the next camp's week. -
Are the virtual sessions open to Absolute beginners? (Online Chess Courses & Camps) -
asked on Jun 09, 2020
Jun 09, 2020 - BAC Bayareachess
Yes! Level 1- Absolute Beginners: For BRAND NEW players only; still learning the pieces and unable to checkmate. Topics can include: Piece names/movement, starting position, turn-sequence, piece values, special rules, general board competencies and checks/checkmates. Combine with the first 8 video lessons on ChessKid for optimal development and support! The average new player, age 6+, that completes 5 sessions and 8 Chesskid lessons should only have to stay in Level 1 for a single week. Age 5 depends on enthusiasm and practice. -
About Bay Area Chess
BayAreaChess provides everyone with enjoyable activities that develop intellectual, mathematical, analytical, visual, and personal skills.
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