Friday Night Chess

The Berkeley Chess School offers Friday Night Chess classes for grades 1-12 at The Berkeley Adult School in Berkeley, the Grace Presbyterian Church in Walnut Creek,  Country Club Elementary School in San Ramon, and Hansen Elementary in Mountain House, throughout the school year.

Classes are 90 minutes in duration from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Class is followed by a free optional tournament from 7:00-8:00 p.m. which gives the students an opportunity to gain tournament experience.  At Mountain House, the program is from 5:30 to 7:00.

In order to participate in the tournament, you must have a current USCF membership. You can purchase a membership on our website at USCF Membership

We offer a Novice class at the Berkeley and Walnut Creek locations.  Children must be at least five years old to attend these classes.  The Novice class is one hour long, and students can not participate in the tournament.  All Novice class children must attend the first night of class so they don’t miss the introductory lesson.  Only beginners need sign up for Novice.

For the San Ramon location, all students must know how the pieces move and have an enthusiasm for chess. There is no Novice class in San Ramon. All children must have completed kindergarten, and please note that all young children are accepted on a provisional basis.  

At Mountain House, there are three levels, including one for beginners, one for intermediate students, and one  for more advanced students.

We offer an early bird discount if you register early. The discount will end at midnight the Sunday before the first day of class.

Friday Night Standings are posted here!