Online Junior Chess Club
(Now Open for Summer Term)
Online chess classes delivered by professional coaches for young chess players who know the rules and want to take their game to the next level – being school champion, winning tournaments, representing the national team and beyond.
The Chess Parent’s Dilemma
Are you experiencing any of the following:
- Your son / daughter knows the rules but not sure where to go from here
- No school club for them to play at – or they have outgrown existing teachers
- You either don’t play at all or only to a basic level – you would love to help more but don’t know how
- Confused at all the online options and conflicting advice
- Frustrated because you know they would really take to the game if only you could find the right help?
Trust me – you are not alone! The chess scene can be confusing and a little bit scary for new chess parents. Lucky for you then that you have found us – and we can’t wait to help.
Who we are and how we can help
We are Sarah and Alex Longson – a husband and wife team based in Cheshire with our two young children Isabelle and Tobias. We definitely know where you are coming from – as juniors we have both represented our country at chess, we have coached young chess players of all levels (school beginners through to European champions), organised the UK’s largest chess tournament (UK Chess Challenge) and are parents ourselves. Sarah, 2013 British ladies champion, regularly appears on TV and radio to discuss the latest chess developments.
Having heard from so many frustrated chess parents we set out to build a chess club that we would have loved as budding junior players but one that was also super convenient and accessible for modern day busy parents.
We asked ourselves what if…
- Young players could receive expert chess tuition from the comfort of their own home
- Classes were actually designed with young people in mind
- There was a structured learning pathway players could follow
- Classes were first and foremost fun as well as being educationally rich
- The whole experience was super-easy for parents
All this could be delivered at a fraction of the cost of private 121 coaching
Introducing the Online Junior Chess Club
The Online Junior Chess Club is the place for young chess players to learn, practise and play.
The Online Junior Chess Club helps students:
- Learn about the heritage of the game and its fascinating history
- Develop practical winning strategies that will help them achieve tournament success
- Get experience playing peers of a similar ability
- Meet interesting players and coaches who will share their insights and experiences
- Build the confidence and resilience required for chess success (AND to enhance prospects in other areas of their lives)
For parents you will:
- Feel assured you are giving your loved one the best chance of chess success
- Be proud of their progress
- Gain some precious minutes back in your life due to our effortless booking system
What makes us different?
Unrivalled experience
England internationals as juniors – we now run the UK’s largest chess competition and the English Chess Federation’s flagship training programme (oh – and we’re parents as well)!
Our own curriculum
All our content and materials are produced in-house giving us full control over the content and delivery so we can tailor it to the relevant audience.
Partnership with the ECF and Chess Trust
Partnered with the English Chess Federation to run the ECF Academy training programme and with the Chess Trust to run the Accelerator Programme. Both part of the official England Junior Development Pathway.
Diverse range of classes
Keeping things fresh and catering for different learning styles.
Technology pioneers
We’re always tinkering with new software and chess platforms to enhance the experience both for students and for parents.
We really care !
We just love what we do and want to share our passion with our students.
Our coaches
We are proud to offer a passionate and diverse group of coaches, experienced teachers and curriculum planners who together plan and deliver our classes and training.
Sarah Longson
Head Coach
Head coach and 2013 British Ladies champion. Level 4 English Chess Federation Coach
Adam Hunt
International Master
Adam is an experienced coach and former junior international. He teaches chess full time at Woodbridge School
John Emms
Grand Master
Respected coach and author, John has also captained the England Olympiad team
Tim Shanker
Chess Teacher
Tim has many years experience working with groups of children in schools and teaching them chess from the basics upwards.
Brandon Clarke
International Master
Brandon Clarke – International Master and 2021 British Rapidplay champion. Over 10 years of chess coaching experience
Alex Longson
Content Creator
FIDE Master and former England junior international. FIDE Trainer. Head of Curriculum Development.
What Our Members Say
Since 2020 we have welcomed over 500 students to the club and we are really proud of their achievements – no matter how large or small.
Our students have:
- Represented the national team
- Won British Championships
- Won UK Chess Challenge events
- Won school competitions
They have also
- Learnt how to spot checkmate patterns quickly and consistently
- Gained bragging rights by beating family members for the first time
- Found competitive success outside of physical sport
- Learnt how to be still and concentrate whilst battling ADHD
- Developed reserves of resilience
Runner Up – European 2021 U8 Blitz and Rapid
British Under 12 Champion
Milo has really enjoyed taking part and has improved so much that he has now managed to beat his dad at chess for the first time! He celebrates his 7th birthday tomorrow and had a homemade chess birthday cake with chocolate chess pieces that he wanted to show you. Apparently I set the board up the wrong way round though!
KatjaJamie LOVES the Battle Royales. His pleasure and excitement levels are really high! I hope you are proud of yourself too as not everyone can capture Jamie’s attention and keep him interested as you have. I am so grateful for all you have done in the classes.
TessAs a teacher myself, I know how much work it takes to plan, find resources and produce good and engaging lessons, and you have certainly done this. Many thanks !
Pilar NavarroGiya also wanted to let you know that she performed 3 fork moves in the chess MEGA tournament today that she had learnt in your Tuesday lessons, which I have attached to this email. She says that this really helped her to come 5th and is really happy about it.
She also says that your lessons are always packed with information and tactics and is always looking forward to them!
SreeWhat do members receive?
Live online chess classes
45 minute interactive group sessions hosted on Zoom by one of our qualified professional coaches (Sarah herself runs many of the classes). Attending these regular classes provides a thorough chess education for students.
The classes take place on weekdays during term time after school and can be booked in advance using our booking platform. Classes are categorised by topic and by ability level. The number of classes you can attend depends on the pricing plan you select. Summaries of the classes are held in the “Chess Improvement Vault” (see below).
Tournament games against other members
Tournaments games take place on lichess.org throughout the week with players able to practise their new skills against other students of similar ability. Allows students to hone the theoretical skills gained in the classes and gain valuable practical experience.
Chess Improvement Vault
Lessons, tips, software walkthroughs and parent guides. Especially useful for players tackling a new subject and need to refresh their memory or top up their knowledge. It also means if you miss a live session you can replay a summary at your convenience (unlimited access to lesson summaries).
After-Lesson Service
We don’t stop when the lesson does! Firstly the session recordings are made available either for students who have missed a session or those who want to go back over a particular topic.
We also summarise the topics in handy PDF workbooks with additional exercises so students who want to do a bit of extra practise can do so.
What are the Different Types of Classes?
Interactive Lessons
Our main staple class – students examine a new topic by analysing a game with the coach and being set questions to test understanding.
Quizzes
Real time quiz using our preferred quiz platform Quizizz. Students love the leaderboards and competitive aspect.
Sarah's Sizzlers
2013 British Ladies Champion Sarah Longson analyses one of her best games and students have the chance to play along and see if their moves matchup!
Checkmate Challenge
Very popular class which is all about application. Guided by the coach students tackle checkmate puzzles at the edge of their current comfort zone with the challenge to get a large winning streak.
Battle Royale
This one is all about fun and teamwork. Two teams go head to head in a team battle with running commentary from the coach.
Beat the Coach
Students get to challenge the coach in a ‘simul’ – ie the coach plays several opponent’s at once.
How it Works
1) Sign up and receive your digital welcome pack with joining instructions
2) If in doubt as to what level your child is or what sessions to do we’ll help to assess and recommend a schedule
3) Review our calendar and book your classes from our booking platform. Each class uses up a ‘credit’. The number of credits you have depends on your pricing plan.
4) Attend the classes on Zoom (full training provided if you haven’t used Zoom previously)
5) Join the tournaments on lichess (full training provided)
6) Submit questions via email or WhatsApp
14 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee
When you join the Online Club you are fully protected by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If you don’t feel like you’ve received value and you decide you want to cancel any time within the next 14 days, just let us know what the problem is by email. If we genuinely can’t resolve your problem then we’ll send you a prompt refund. No hassles, headaches or hoops to jump through.
We’re confident that you and your child will enjoy the Online Club. In the unlikely event that you are not completely satisfied then we’ll refund you without any fuss – we won’t make you beg or invoke any silly rules or conditions.
Make Your Winning Move !
Join the Online Junior Chess Club today and receive these great benefits:
- Expert tuition from professional coaches
- Wide range of classes to suit different abilities and learning styles
- Tournament games against peers of similar ability
- Access to our Chess Improvement Vault including lesson summaries
- OPTIONAL EXTRA: Session recordings and additional exercises for students wanting to put in the extra-mile !
Choose your plan from the options below. Credits can be used as you please. Sign up for the same class / classes each week or ‘Mix and Match’ – it’s up to you !
5 - Pack
Enough for weekly lessons for half a term- 5 x Classes (eg 1 / week for half a term)
- £12 / Class
- Unlimited tournaments
- Access to the Chess Improvement Vault
10 - Pack
Weekly class for a full term- 10 x Classes
- £10 / Class
- Unlimited tournaments
- Access to the Chess Improvement Vault
20 - Pack
Most Popular- 20 x Classes
- £7 / Class
- Unlimited tournaments
- Access to the Chess Improvement Vault
30 - Pack
Best Value- 30 x Classes
- < £7 / Class
- Unlimited tournaments
- Access to the Chess Improvement Vault
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Online Club suitable for my child rated xxxx…?
A: The Online Junior Chess Club is suitable for a wide range of ability from beginner to approximately 1800 rating (based on ECF ratings). Students should at least know how the pieces move before joining the club. If in doubt get in touch and we can carry out a quick assessment.
Q: How do I decide which classes to attend?
A: All of our classes are allocated one of three ‘levels’. Students will be sent a guide when signing up explaining which levels will be appropriate for them. If in doubt we can jump on a call to explain.
Q: Do you offer a free trial?
A: We don’t offer a free trial but we do offer a no fuss 14 day money back guarantee. Also – if you want to give just one of our live sessions a try you can book these individually via our events page
Q: When are the classes?
A: The Summer Term schedule is:
Monday 5.15 – 6.00pm
Tuesday 4.15 – 5.00pm
Tuesday 5.15 – 6.00pm
Wednesday 5.15 – 6.00pm
Wednesday 6.15 – 7.00pm
Thursday 5.15 – 6.00pm
Friday 5.15 – 6.00pm
Q: When are the tournaments?
A: Tournaments are Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays (6.00 – 6.45pm) and Saturdays/Sundays (12.30 – 2.00pm).
Q: Which tournaments can I play in?
A: You can play in unlimited tournaments except those tournaments which are restricted by rating bands – this will be advertised on the tournament booking page on lichess.org.
Q: Do you follow a set curriculum?
A: We have developed our own unique curriculum and all of our lesson plans are custom designed.
Q: What happens if I miss a class?
A: A recorded summary is made of each class and will be available in the vault.
Q: Are the classes 1-2-1?
A: The classes are in groups which helps keep the cost down.