We’re careful when it comes to chess ratings. It’s easy to lose sight of improvement, focus on the number and forget what’s important: study, study, study (and have fun)!

With that said, we felt that two students crossing the 2000 rating barrier in the same month is worth celebrating. It’s a first for Chess Rising Stars and it happened twice in one month.

Noah and James both achieved personal best standard ratings in the English Chess Federation’s April Rating List. Their new 2000+ ratings put them both comfortably into the top thousand ECF ranked players, including adults.

It was a great month across the board for Chess Rising Stars, as we now have five students ranked in the Top 20 in their age category on the ECF Rating Database.

Noah at the ‘Chess Talents Tournament’ in Frydek-Mistek

The alcohol-free champagne is on ice for Ashwin and Aden! They’ve both been making excellent progress and, with ratings in the 1900s, will surely join the 2000 club soon.

We’re proud of what our students have achieved and look forward to seeing what the May list brings.

Track Chess Rising Stars progress on our ratings page

Check our comprehensive chess ratings guide for parents

Noah and James are both members of our Elite Online Chess Club

Mar 07, 2025

Easter Chess Camp

We’ve had a very welcome week of sunshine in London – a sure sign that Spring is on the way. Naturally, you will be thinking about what your kids can do during the Easter holidays next month and Chess Rising Stars are here to help!

Our Easter Online Chess Camp will be held between 7th and 9th April. It’s our 30th camp since 2020 and, once again, will be taught by our experienced online coach Savvas Manelidis.

Lessons will have a mixture of tuition, friendly games and an internal tournament with trophies posted to the winners! Our Online Chess Camp acts as an ideal companion course to our small-group Online Chess Clubs. We also welcome students who are current members of our in-person school chess lessons, the Chelsea Chess Club and Wimbledon Chess Rising Stars for some extra chess in their Holidays.

Time: 9:00-11:30 am
Age: 6 to 14
Number of children: 4-10 per group

7th, 8th & 9th April 2025

£25 per individual day
For bookings dated on or before 31st March 2025

£25 per day only when the whole camp is booked in advance
£35 per individual day from 1st April

Jul 03, 2025

ECF Rated at the Chelsea Chess Club

Starting in September 2025, the Chelsea Chess Club will introduce weekly ECF rated rapid games as part of our regular sessions.

This opportunity will be available for students in the top group of the club. We will help our advanced students take a step forward by giving them the chance to gain official ratings and prepare for competitive play beyond Chess Rising Stars.

To participate in ECF rated games, students must be registered with the English Chess Federation. For parents new to ECF membership, we’re here to guide you through the registration process. Read our article on how to get started.

Games will be overseen by our highly qualified coaching team – five of whom are now certified ECF Arbiters. Their expertise will ensure each rated game meets official standards of play and sportsmanship, all within a supportive learning environment.

Our Chelsea Chess Club is already recognised at Level 2 within the English Chess Federation’s Junior Development Pathway scheme. This new initiative is another way Chess Rising Stars is helping our young players grow in skill and confidence.

Wimbledon Chess Rising Stars

Launching in January 2025, our new junior chess club will be open to children of all chess levels, ages 7+, with a mixture of chess lessons, friendly games and an internal tournament with plenty of prizes for the winners!

Lessons will be taught by our expert coaches, including FIDE Instructor CM Tom Villiers, who are passionate about developing young talent. We will also support more experienced children who intend to compete in chess tournaments and team matches.

It is exciting to expand our chess club provision and offer an in-person club at a new venue. William Morris House is an 8-minute-walk from South Wimbledon underground station and a 14-minute-walk from Wimbledon station.

Our new junior chess club has limited availability and we will allocate spaces on a first-come, first-served basis via our online form below. Booking is open now and your child can be among the first to join us. Once this club reaches capacity, we will open a waiting list to add a second group.

Register today to secure your child’s spot at Wimbledon Chess Rising Stars.