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 is $34 per month, or from $24 per month when billed yearly. The RCS KIDS program starts with a free onboarding call and no commitment, and you can cancel anytime.

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 when billed yearly. Monthly plans are $34 (Standard), $59 (Premium) and $279 (VIP) per month. All plans include access to live classes and the course library. A free 7-day trial is available before committing to any plan.

How to Find Online Chess Lessons Near You (And Why Location Matters Less Than You Think)

Dina Belenkaya

Sep 23

3 min read

Chess lessons near me is one of the most common searches by people who want to start improving at chess. It makes intuitive sense — we are wired to look for things nearby. And there is a version of chess coaching that genuinely benefits from being local: over-the-board tournament play, a chess club, an in-person camp experience.

But for the structured training that actually drives improvement? Location is almost entirely irrelevant. Here is why, and what to look for instead.

The talent pool problem with local-only coaching

Suppose you live in a mid-size American city. There might be two or three people in your area who are both strong chess players and willing to teach. If you are lucky, one of them is a FIDE Master or a strong National Master. That is your entire local market.

Online, the market is global. You can learn from Grandmasters and Woman Grandmasters who have played in world-class events, coached hundreds of students, and built structured curricula tested across thousands of hours of teaching. The skill ceiling available to you online is simply higher than what local availability can usually match.

What live online coaching actually feels like

The concern people have about online chess training is that it will feel impersonal or passive — watching videos alone, no feedback, no interaction. That concern is valid for low-quality online chess content, of which there is a lot. But it does not describe what a well-run online chess school actually looks like.

Live group classes with five to ten students, a titled coach leading the session, interactive Q&A: that is structurally very similar to a small in-person class. The coach can see your moves on a shared board, annotate in real time, call on you to explain your thinking. The feedback loop is there.

Regular game review — where your own games are analyzed by a coach who knows your play — is harder to replicate informally but very much available through a structured school. This is where real improvement happens: someone who knows chess watching you play and telling you specifically what you are doing wrong.

When location does matter: in-person camps

There is one area where location matters, and that is the in-person experience of intensive camp training and over-the-board tournament play.

Playing OTB with a clock in a tournament setting is different from playing online. The psychology is different, the concentration required is different, and the experience of sitting across from a strong player in real time is hard to simulate digitally.

Russian Chess School has run in-person training camps in Charlotte, NC and Paris for exactly this reason. These are optional, intensive experiences — a weekend of lectures, game analysis, simuls with Grandmasters, and the chance to play in a concurrent rated tournament. They are a concentrated boost on top of the online foundation, not the primary training vehicle.

What to look for in an online program

Are the coaches FIDE-titled? Titles are earned through competitive play and are meaningful credentials.
Is there a structured curriculum, or is it just a collection of videos?
Are classes live, with interaction, or are they recorded lectures?
Is there game review — someone watching your actual games?
Is there a community of other players at your level?
Is there a free trial or a way to test before committing?

Russian Chess School checks all of those boxes. Live weekly group classes with FIDE-titled coaches, all levels from complete beginner to 2000 ELO, regular game reviews, and a 7-day free trial with no commitment.

Start where you are

You do not need a great chess club in your city to get good at chess. You need a structured program, consistent practice, and coaches who can tell you specifically what to work on. Those are online, and they are available to you right now.

The near me search is a starting point. What you are actually looking for is quality. And quality does not have a zip code.