We went to the first tournament and the event was pretty efficient event and well run. The kid had fun and it was painless for the parent. Everything is provided including the notation sheet and clocks. Suggest to send a welcome email to the first time family and wish the results were uploaded a little sooner to USCF but otherwise no complains. read more

My kids (rated 1600 & 1200 at this time) absolutely loved Play N Go. It's quads, their favorite tournament format. Super nice playroom/hall environment--never crowded, always plenty of tables and chairs for parents, etc. Amazing staff--very helpful, attentive, and thoughtful! And the cash awards always made them super happy when they got lucky :-) read more

My 6 yr old has been taking private lessons thru ChessNYC all summer and have begun to learn good opening strategies and the core motifs. It is her first private chess coaching experience. Her coach does a great job keeping her engaged and motivated and provided a good structural roadmap to continue to progress in her chess journey. This is so important at a young age. The organizer, Charles Pena is great as well and is very responsive. We had a good first experience at Play N Go, her first rated tournament experience. It was very well organized and efficient. The gym at Ps 183 is cold though so definitely make sure to bring a cardigan. I ended up running out to buy her one to keep her warm. It is a much smaller tournament than the large school ones during the school year like Avenues, Hunter, Ps 41 etc. Which has pros and cons. We found the kids to generally be older than 1st grade. I think mine and her friend may have been the only 6 yr olds there. But Chess NYC definitely does a good job pairing groups of similar skill level and keeping the environment fun and less stressful. read more

Both my children have been going to ChessNYC in SOHO for 2+ years now. They started from never having picked up a piece, to knowing all the terminology and teaching me more advanced maneuvers. They are learning to win and lose graciously. The coaches are great. They challenge the children and set daily and weekly goals. ChessNYC teaches chess and sportsmanship in a fun and positive way. Highly recommend! read more

I have two boys (7 and 11), and they both love the Chess Play N Go events! The staff is great, and the events are well run. My boys have grown a ton through their experiences at Chess Play N Go -- not just in their chess ability, but also their overall personal growth! read more

My son attended Chess NYC's summer camp program on the Upper East Side - PS183 and had a positive and fun experience this summer. The coaches were all awesome. He improved his chess skills and enjoyed playing basketball and kickball. While he initially did not want to attend, he could not wait to show up each day this past summer. It was a great experience and we highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun, positive summer camp. read more

Great tournaments for kids just getting into chess! Less overwhelming than some of the ones at bigger schools.

Changed my kids life. Was tempted to move back to a school zone where they have chessnyc aftercare. Only wish they were in more schools!!

My son has been going to chess summer camps and Play N Go for years. He went from not knowing anything about chess to now winning occasionally. He loves chess and find it fun. Play N Go is especially good because he didn't have to spend too much time waiting around. Highly recommended. read more

My son loves the Play N Go chess tournaments. Chess NYC gets so many things right that other chess tournaments do wrong (ratings, imbalanced games, slow timings, bans on electronic notation). These are the only tournaments that we return to week after week. read more

My son has been playing in chess camps, tournaments and meets at Chess NYC before he was in kindergarten. Grayson is now in third grade and he loves them and their coaches! Michael Propper, the hardest working man in chess land, is the most nurturing, entertaining and best supporting "coach" your children will ever meet. Grayson loves them so much that he requested a fencing / chess combo birthday party. Best party ever! If you want great preparation for City, Grade and National tournaments, this is the organization that can get you there. They have been instrumental in helping the minds of many children, of which two of our very own elementary school mates, received a full scholarship at Dalton all the way through high school and NEST, respectively. We are excited and looking forward to more training and coaching! read more

Chess NYC - Playing The Game Of His Life - Specialty Schools Near Me - New York, New York

My son did a week of camp with Chess NYC at East 67th Street. He loved it and we will do it again next year, maybe more than a week. The day is a combination of free play: basketball, table games, playground, etc and chess. My son enjoyed the schedule and the chess. Coach Laura, Oliver and Steve made it an excellent week. read more

We have been attending Chess NYC camps and after-school and even private lessons for around six years. But the activity has been a godsend during the pandemic. Online lessons work well for chess and both my sons attended in-person camp on the UES this summer and had a great time. I give a lot of kudos to the staff, who are all such good, caring and smart folks. We are happy to have in-person after-school back this fall. read more

Took after school program and was quite disappointed. Location was changed at last minute to being very far from original location and not convenient to public transportation. A refund was offered but given my kids' excitement about chess, was reluctant to cancel. The major issue here was poor quality of programming. Additionally no assessment was done of kids' skill level so it ended up being extremely boring as taught at complete beginner level when that was not communicated. Of daily three hours supposed to be focused on chess, one hour was spent walking to the location, about one hour of basic chess and the worst part, one hour spent watching tv! Not a great enrichment experience for a summer camp. That said, the teachers were nice. Feedback was provided on need for improvement but no attempt was made to rectify other than...you should have called earlier. Won't attend again. Update here: After finding out Chess NYC ran an affiliated school program at our new school, Michael the owner, referenced in earlier negative reviews, has since uninvited us from participating because of my feedback. Really not the way to run any program or business! read more

I came across Chess NYC on yelp after my 5 year old expressed desire for learning Chess.I enrolled her for the Summer Camp this year and I am not exaggerating but this has been her best summer yet and its all because of this camp. Signing up was a breeze. We opted for the Upper East Side location which is held at PS 183.First day of dropping her off I was nervous like hell seeing how casual everybody was.There were children of all ages in the same room.I mean she is 5 year old and she has always been in a very protective day care kinda camps and this camp was anything but that.When I went to pick her up that day I knew I had made the right decision.Three months into the camp and she still is as excited about it as she was on the first day. Michael and his team of coaches do a splendid job in creating a perfect stimulating and engaging environment for the kids.They work on creating their self esteem and giving them the boost of confidence while teaching them Chess.Within just two of going to the camp she had mastered the basic moves of the all pieces.Somehow they seem to do all this so effortlessly and in a fun way. Open communication and socialization fosters a very positive and rich environment for the kids. Special shout out to Michael, Coach David,Karina and Jessica for making my daughter summer at Chess NYC so memorable.We are not thrilled about the fact that its her last week at the camp.Cant wait to go back again next year. read more

My sons have been playing chess afterschool with chessnyc for several years and they are always excited about it. The teachers are really nice and supportive and there is also an online program they have access to for them to practice puzzles on their own which are challenging and fun. We will start going to chessnyc tournaments soon as well on the weekends. Thank you! read more

The good news. My son attended chess nyc and became very , very good.. MY son loves the staff . The bad news is that my son kicks my butt every time now. read more

We have gone to many Chess NYC Play and Go's and camps - our kids love Chess NYC and it has undeniably increased their playing ability. Michael is a great coach, he has high expectations of the kids and that is refreshing in our environment today. He believes each kid can and should do their best and teaches them how to win and lose gracefully. His camps and Play and Go's also offer a reasonably priced option for kids given that coaches in the city can be quite expensive. We have really enjoyed our experience! read more

I've been working at Chess NYC for almost 10 years and I've been having a blast! I get to come to work and PLAY! My favorite part of the job is the people I've been able to meet across the Chess board. We work with a diverse range of students and have been able to cross the economic divide by bring the gift of Chess to all corners of NY - from the Hamptons, to Public & Private Schools, to Rikers Island. I'm in love with what I do and feel blessed to be part of Chess NYC. ~Coach Rebecca read more

We go to the PS 183 meet Nearly every Sunday, and it is a wonderful experience for our kid. Michael and his staff are great with the kids, and they do a nice job getting the kids motivated without overdoing the competitiveness. The weeks when A grandmaster shows up and works with the most motivated kids are especially fun. This is just a great organization! read more

My boys love going to the camps and the play n go tournaments! Michael and his team are very qualified and they really take an interest in the children. I really like the weekend tournament they host because they are relatively small in size, they are quick and organized. See you again soon! read more

And I was expecting you to post this sort of response. To all the parents out there, the comments about me crossing the line and being asked to leave are made up. I didn't curse, I didn't insult anyone, I only asked that they switch us to a different group with children who are better at chess than my son. They responded by telling me that my son is lacking basic chess skills and that he should stay in this group, and that I should "cool down". When I said that it's insulting to hear that feedback when my son hasn't lost a game in the class, they told me that I'm insulting them and that I've crossed every line. I still don't know why they feel insulted for taking my money, having my son in a group of children who are nowhere near his level, and not teaching him anything. That's not what I paid for. Michael has no concept of customer service. When he had an unsatisfied client, instead of finding another group that suits my son's abilities, he chose to speak with me in a tone that led me to want to have nothing to do with them. He is condescending to say the least. That's not how service oriented businesses work. If you want my money, you have to deliver what you promise and you have to put the customer first. His ego is bigger than the sun. Nothing comes before that. As I said before, if you are looking for babysitting with a twist - go here but avoid Michael. If you want a serious chess education, look elsewhere. read more

I have to agree with the person who suggested not sending children here. Michael was abrasive and rude. I won't be bringing my child back.

Do not send your kids to their Upper East Side camp! In the afternoons, the campers are brought out to St. Catherine's, our local playground, and are left completely unsupervised. There are a couple of counsellors on their phones watching over twenty children. I've seen kids as young as 5 going to the public bathroom unaccompanied by an adult. On one occasion, a few parents spent over ten minutes trying to find one of the counsellors. I know a few parents who actually like the morning chess sessions of the camp held at PS 183 and only do half days so that their children are not left unsupervised and unprotected at the playground. One additional note: They do provide after school chess programs at a few schools. My son has taken part in these. I have no issues with their actual chess instruction or with their after school programs, but I truly feel that they are not responsibly watching the kids when they go to the outdoor location during camp. read more

Not recommended unless your child has prior exposure to chess - i.e. the camp is not suitable for the complete beginner. Also, the PS189 location lacks security. Once camp is underway, anyone could walk in unchecked. read more

My son has always been interested in chess. Starting at age 5, he wanted to learn all its possibilities. Since I only know the basics, I had to look for a place to teach him, and found it Chess NYC. He started out with camps-- that grew to lessons, first with Rebecca and now Tal--then to tournaments. Now I feel like we sleep, eat and live chess. :) What Michael and Russ do is amazing. I'm not sure they get much sleep given that they seem to always be working, but I do know they don't just teach kids how to play chess (though they do a kick butt job of that), they teach them that it is okay to lose, how to work hard for a win, how to focus and not get distracted, and how to grow as a person. My son has learned so much with Chess NYC. Our family loves them! read more

Chess NYC has been amazing through this 'social distancing'. The kids have loved the online classes and the one on one instruction. The coaches are fantastic, engaging, and the kids game has improved drastically. I can't thank them enough for their dedication to adjusting the programming for these difficult times. Looking forward to Play N Stay! read more

My children love Chess NYC. They participate in our local elementary school's after school chess program run by Michael. It's a great program! My kids love playing chess and they look forward to each Friday and every tournament. Not only does Michael teach them the game of chess--more importantly he raises their self esteem, teaches them good sportsmanship, critical thinking, respect, and I almost forgot--to have fun! Michael is committed to the kids; he genuinely cares about them, is always professional, and is a great role model. read more

This chess club just great! Very organized and very professional. You can totally feel how passionate they are and the Michael is a good leader definitely! read more

I work on the admin side of Chess NYC and have been to many of its chess camps and after school programs. The coaches are very professional (many are highly acclaimed in the chess world!), and learning sessions are engaging as well. The kids always seem to enjoy themselves and have a great time! read more

Kids loved this! We had kids ranging from 6- 17 and all of them were enthralled. The instructor had them so engaged and excited! Definitely would recommend and hire again! Great for parties, kids programs or just a family fun day. read more

ChessNYC is great, coach Brian Arthur is really helping our 8 year old son hone his skills. The lessons are taught in relaxed but effective manner. I definitely recommend private lessons if you want to help your child get up to speed and enjoy chess. read more

One of the best places to work in the city! An incredibly qualified team and matching charity donations, Michael Propper is a terrific director. The Chess NYC family is in this because we love what we do and the kids we impact. read more

It's a wonderful place to advance my chess skills, they have many programs that is very very useful (camps, after school club, private lessons, tournaments where you can even win money, etc.) I play in quad tournaments where I would play people around my rating, which is really nice because other tournaments are usually like a Swiss format, so I would have to play people very low or very high and it wouldn't really help my chess skills....I really recommend this place. One great thing is that before the tournament starts, (usually) Michael Proper, who runs ChessNYC would give a speech and tips for the players. One really great thing I like is that everytime I play, I wouldn't be able to know my opponents ratings, this is very important because if it was someone higher than me, then I would worry and it would impact how I play (if it was a lower rating, then I would look down at my opponent, play fast, and lose to someone I shouldn't)! There are many more benefits of ChessNYC, where you would find out when you join them! So overall, I would give it a 5. Nice job, and keep it up ChessNYC! read more

My son loves competing in the tournaments and the camps. A great place for kids to learn how to play as well as start competing. The tournaments are fun and the kids love the raffle and the awards. read more

These are amazing people! My son, who is not anyone's idea of the quiet, chess-playing type, has developed such skill and such a love of the game that I wish these people had been around when I was his age. (I am not a chess player.) He's participated in the after-school program, the weekend tournaments, and the summer camp and he ADORES it. I cannot recommend them highly enough. read more