Is there a free trial for Russian Chess School?

Yes. Russian Chess School offers a 7-day free trial with no commitment. You can cancel anytime during or after the trial.

How much does Russian Chess School cost?

The adult program starts at $29 per month. The RCS KIDS program starts at $79 per month (Standard) or $249 per month (Premium, which includes 4 private lessons). Annual plans are also available at a discount.

What chess levels does Russian Chess School teach?

Russian Chess School teaches all levels from complete beginners (0 rating) to advanced club players (up to 2000 rating). Levels include Beginner (0-500), Improver (500-800), Intermediate (800-1200), Advanced (1200-1600), and Club Player (1600-2000).

Are classes online or in person?

All Russian Chess School classes are fully online. Students join live group sessions from anywhere in the world. There are no in-person classes.

Who teaches at Russian Chess School?

All coaches at Russian Chess School hold official FIDE titles. The team includes WGM Dina Belenkaya (founder), WIM Anna Gvanceladze, WFM Alexandra Samaganova, and WIM Alina Balaian.

What age is the KIDS program for?

The RCS KIDS program is designed for children ages 7 to 16. Classes are held in small groups of up to 6 students for personalized attention.

What does the subscription include?

The adult subscription includes weekly group classes by rating level, game reviews with Dina, 1-on-1 coaching, tournaments, a leaderboard, personalized plans, and access to 500+ hours of structured training material. It is hosted on the Skool community platform.

Can I cancel my subscription anytime?

Yes. There is no long-term commitment. You can cancel your Russian Chess School subscription at any time.

What chess courses are available at Russian Chess School?

Russian Chess School offers standalone chess courses covering targeted skill areas including tactics, openings, endgames, strategy, and game analysis. These are structured video-based programs you can work through at your own pace alongside the live class program.

Are the chess courses suitable for beginners?

Yes. Courses are designed for players at all levels, from beginners learning the fundamentals to intermediate and advanced players working to fix specific weaknesses. Each course focuses on one area so you can target exactly what you need to improve.

How do the standalone courses differ from the live classes?

The standalone courses are self-paced video programs covering a specific chess topic. The live classes are weekly group sessions held in real time with a coach. Both are included in membership plans, and the courses complement the live instruction by letting you drill specific areas between classes.

Who created the chess courses at Russian Chess School?

The courses were created by the school's coaching team, led by WGM Dina Belenkaya, with contributions from WIM Anna Gvanceladze, WFM Alexandra Samaganova, and WIM Alina Balaian. All coaches hold official FIDE titles.

Do I need a membership to access the chess courses?

Most courses are included with a Russian Chess School membership. You can try the full program with a free 7-day trial before committing to a plan. Some specialized courses may be available separately — check the current course listings for details.

What age can kids start at Russian Chess School KIDS?

The KIDS program accepts students ages 7 to 16. Classes are grouped by skill level so children train alongside peers at the same stage, whether they are complete beginners or have been playing for a few years.

Is the KIDS program good for beginners with no chess experience?

Yes. The program starts from the very basics and is designed to be accessible for children who have never played chess before. The structured curriculum guides kids from the rules of the game through tactics, strategy, and competitive play at their own pace.

How are the online chess classes for kids structured?

Classes are live, online, and held in small groups of up to 6 students per session. Each class includes a lesson, practice exercises, and game review. Sessions are led by titled coaches including WIM Anna Gvanceladze, WFM Alexandra Samaganova, and WIM Alina Balaian.

Is there a free trial for the KIDS program?

Yes. New students can start a free 7-day trial with no credit card required. The trial includes full access to the KIDS program: live classes, course materials, and the coaching community.

Who are the coaches in the KIDS program?

The KIDS program is led by a team of titled female coaches: WIM Anna Gvanceladze, WFM Alexandra Samaganova, and WIM Alina Balaian, under the direction of founder WGM Dina Belenkaya. All coaches hold official FIDE titles and have extensive experience teaching young players.

Who are the coaches at Russian Chess School?

Russian Chess School is led by WGM (Woman Grandmaster) Dina Belenkaya, who founded the school. The coaching team includes WIM Anna Gvanceladze, WFM Alexandra Samaganova, and WIM Alina Balaian — all titled female chess players with official FIDE credentials.

Who is Dina Belenkaya?

Dina Belenkaya is a Woman Grandmaster (WGM) with over 25 years of competitive chess experience. She founded Russian Chess School to make high-quality, titled-coach instruction accessible online. She is also known for her work promoting chess through social media and content creation.

What qualifications do the coaches have?

All coaches at Russian Chess School hold official FIDE (World Chess Federation) titles: WGM Dina Belenkaya (Woman Grandmaster), WIM Anna Gvanceladze (Woman International Master), WFM Alexandra Samaganova (Woman FIDE Master), and WIM Alina Balaian (Woman International Master).

Is Russian Chess School an online-only program?

Yes. Russian Chess School is a fully online program. All live group classes, game reviews, and coaching sessions take place via video conference. Occasionally the school hosts in-person events such as masterclasses — these are announced separately.

How is the curriculum at Russian Chess School structured?

The curriculum is developed by the coaching team and covers all aspects of chess improvement: tactics, strategy, openings, endgames, and game analysis. Students are grouped by rating level (from 0 to 2000+) so instruction is always matched to their current ability.

How do I start learning chess online with Russian Chess School?

Start with a free 7-day trial — no credit card required. Once you join, you get immediate access to live group classes sorted by rating level, structured coursework, and game review sessions. You can attend class the same week you sign up.

Is Russian Chess School good for beginners?

Yes. The school accepts students from complete beginners (0 rating) through advanced players (2000+ rating). Classes are grouped by rating level so you are always training with peers at your level, and the curriculum starts from the fundamentals for lower-rated groups.

What is included in the free 7-day trial?

The free trial gives you full access to the school for 7 days: live group classes, the complete course library, game reviews, and the community. You need no credit card to start. At the end of the trial you can choose a membership plan to continue.

Who teaches at Russian Chess School?

The school was founded by WGM (Woman Grandmaster) Dina Belenkaya, who has over 25 years of competitive chess experience. The coaching team also includes WIM Anna Gvanceladze, WFM Alexandra Samaganova, and WIM Alina Balaian — all titled female players.

How much does Russian Chess School cost?

Adult memberships start at $24/month (Standard plan). Premium is $41/month, VIP is $195/month, and Platinum is $999/month. All plans include access to live classes and the course library. A free 7-day trial is available before committing to any plan.

Best Place to Subscribe for Weekly Chess Lessons Online

Dina Belenkaya

Sep 23

3 min read

If you have decided you want to improve at chess through a subscription — some kind of ongoing program you pay for month to month — you have probably noticed that the options look very similar on the surface. Live classes, recorded lessons, a chess engine, maybe a coach's face on a thumbnail. The price range is $10 to $200 a month depending on what you pick. So how do you actually choose?

Here is what I tell students who ask me this: the question is not which subscription has the most content. It is which one forces you to actually show up.

The problem with passive content subscriptions

Most chess learning platforms sell access to a library. Hundreds of hours of recorded lessons, puzzles, openings databases. Some of it is excellent. But here is what happens: you subscribe, watch three videos, solve some puzzles, and then life happens. You come back two months later, realize you have been paying for something you barely touch, and cancel.

Passive content does not improve your chess. Working through chess ideas, making mistakes, getting corrected, and then doing it again improves your chess. A subscription built around recorded content gives you the raw material for improvement, but almost no mechanism for actually making it happen.

What makes a weekly chess lesson subscription different

A program built around live weekly classes works differently because the structure itself creates accountability. You know class is Tuesday at 7pm. You show up. The coach presents ideas. You work on them in real time. Other students ask questions you did not know you had. You play examples and see where your thinking breaks down.

That rhythm — consistent, structured, coach-led — is how most chess players actually improve. It mirrors how serious club players trained before the internet. The difference now is that you can do it from anywhere.

When I built Russian Chess School, weekly live group classes were the core from day one. Not because recorded lessons are worthless — we have them too — but because the weekly rhythm is what keeps students moving. A student who attends class for six months consistently will improve more than a student who watches 200 hours of video over two years on their own timeline.

What to look for in a chess subscription

Live classes, not just recorded ones

Look for a subscription where the weekly class is the anchor, not an optional extra. Recorded lessons should supplement the live instruction, not replace it.

A coach who actually teaches, not just lectures

There is a difference between a chess master explaining moves and a chess coach teaching you to think better. The latter pauses, asks questions, waits for you to find the idea before revealing it. Look for programs where coaches are selected for teaching ability alongside chess strength.

Community and accountability

The best subscriptions have an active community: a Discord server, a leaderboard, tournaments between students. These create the social pressure that keeps you coming back when motivation dips.

Game review, not just lesson content

The most powerful learning happens when someone stronger than you looks at your own games and shows you specifically where your thinking went wrong. A subscription that includes game review, even occasionally, is worth more than one that does not.

How Russian Chess School is structured

At RCS, the adult program ($24/month) includes weekly live group classes with titled coaches, game reviews with Dina, homework assignments, a leaderboard and blitz tournaments, and a full community on Discord and Skool. The program covers all levels from beginner to 2000 rating.

The 7-day free trial gives you access to everything, so you can sit in on a live class and see whether the format is right for you before committing to anything.

The honest bottom line

A subscription built around weekly live classes beats a content library for most chess improvers. Not because recorded content is bad, but because showing up every week to a live class is how humans actually build new skills. If you are serious about improving, find a subscription where weekly live instruction is the product, not the upsell.