Best Chess Summer Camps For Kids 2025
Chess camps are an excellent way to inspire a love of chess in new students. These summer camps allow established players to deepen their understanding of the game and learn from experienced coaches. Chess summer programs also offer kids a chance to get off their phones and create friendships with like-minded peers. Grandmasters guide students through the fundamentals of chess, gradually working up to more complex strategies.
After camp, children can feel confident in their chess tactics and strategy. This is a great way to keep your child’s mind sharp during the summer break from school.
Top Chess Summer Camps
Online & New York, NY
Get ready, young knights and queens! The US Chess Academy camps are throwing open their doors to kids of all skill levels for a thrilling chess adventure.
Touted as The most fun chess camp in the world by their champion parents, their summer camp is a treasure trove of excitement, featuring everything from brain-boosting chess lessons, tactical challenges, and action-packed tournaments to sports, movie marathons and more.
You can join their elite squad of Masters, Grandmasters, and spectacular special guests! Each day at camp is a chance to power up your chess moves and soar to new heights in a...
Denver, CO
Kids can surround themselves with the beauty of Denver, Colorado, at Denver Rocky Mountain Chess day camps. Founded in 1995, the program is run by National Chess Master Todd Bardwick. Children ages 6 to 18 are welcome to participate and choose from beginner, intermediate, or advanced level groups.
Kids learn in person from carefully trained coaches, most of whom have a background in education. The small class sizes with an 8:1 coach to student ratio allow the coaches to give personalized attention to each child. In addition to coaching, campers receive valuable workbooks to study chess strategies and tactics.
Children...
San Jose, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park, CA
Students have a variety of options for studying chess in the beautiful Bay Area. Bay Area Chess offers in-person camps during the spring and summer, while online chess camps run during the summer only. Children ages five and up are welcome to join the Bay Area programs with no experience needed!
In-person programs are located in San Jose, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. You can check their schedule for spring break camps or enroll in the summer program where students learn from skilled chess instructors in small group sizes with an instructor-to-student ratio of 1:10. Both morning and afternoon programs...
Wheaton and Naperville, IL
Elite Chess is located in Illinois. You can build your child's love of STEM and chess at Elite Chess, with locations in Wheaton, IL, and Naperville, IL. The in-person and online chess lessons are for children who know how to play chess but want to improve upon their skills. Kids who are brand new to it can enroll in their combined STEM/Chess program.
Experienced players can join the intermediate or advanced programs. During their time in class, children study famous games and learn how to strategize like a Grandmaster. The chess camp concludes with a tournament where the top players...
Online
Caveman chess offers a comprehensive list of programs for participants of different age groups and capabilities. During this full week of hands-on learning, youth learn from some of the world's top chess masters. Campers take what they learn from their demos and lessons and then compete in tournaments with their peers.
Their Explorer camp is open to everyone. Enrolled campers are assigned groups pertaining to their current ability level. They work on building basic knowledge and chess strategies. The Intensive Study Camp is open to youth and adults who demonstrate a high skill level. Explorer camp participants and Intensive Study...
Online
Make school breaks enriching and fun with Chess4Life Chess Camps, offered online and in-person! Campers build confidence, sportsmanship, and focus through engaging chess lessons and practice, led by experienced, encouraging coaches!
With multiple skill groups available, kids learn at the right level – whether they’re just starting out or sharpening tournament tactics. Our camps blend strategy, play, and life skill development in a positive, growth-focused environment! Join us in person in Bellevue or Issaquah, WA (ages 6-12), or online from anywhere (ages 8-16) – Chess Camps are a great way to keep kids learning and growing, even when school’s out!
Online, New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA
Chess at 3 begins children on their chess journey as early as age 3 with their unique brand of teaching that involves storytelling. Through this blend of storytelling and tutoring, Chess at 3 engages players in a way that they find entertaining and instructional.
Children get one-on-one chess classes through popular online communication platforms like Google Hangouts, Skype, and Zoom. The program has nearly 100 instructors who serve as chess guides and storytellers. Their interactive stories provide immersion that traditional instruction can't.
Chess at 3 utilizes the open-source chess server Lichess and can assist students in opening a free account....
Online, NY, and CT
Chess Max Academy allows students to work with a team of international chess grandmasters, all of whom have incredible accolades. Students can choose how they want to learn as there is a program to suit every learning style.
The most flexible option is the online school, which includes thousands of exercises assigned individually by coaches at only $19/month. For a traditional lesson structure style, Chess Max Academy has options for every age and skill level. These range from pre-schoolers all the way up to twelve-year-olds and clock in at $350 per semester.
You can also sign up kids for one...
Online
ChessMatec is designed with younger learners in mind. Students can sign up for their free account, which limits access to the first-level curriculum. Through a series of engaging, interactive chess, young children learn essential fundamentals.
Presented without any verbal instruction, kids are provided with visual examples to mimic the moves of chessboard pieces and play strategies. Each lesson begins with a limited view of the chessboard, and the viewpoint expands as children learn and master moves.
There are a total of eight instructional areas with 8-10 levels within each area awaiting to be unlocked. Children progress through locked areas as...