About the Course

Introduction to Chess

Introduction to Chess provides new or beginning students with a strong foundation in the game’s rules and strategies, and a community of enthusiasts to learn alongside. You’ll begin with a brief history of chess and unravel the secrets of chess through quizzes, videos, and games about how each piece moves.

At the end of most lessons, you’ll have the chance to play computerized chess challenges at varying degrees of difficulty, complete engaging and creative projects, and you’ll also have the opportunity to play with your classmates. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to read and write the algebraic notation for chess moves, understand the strategies and rules of the game, and competently attack your opponent’s king while defending your own.

CTY chess students have the option to get together once a week during Game Night, our virtual chess environment, to enjoy playing structured games under the guidance of CTY Staff.

Game Play: Mondays 7-8 p.m. ET

Instructor led sessions to be determined at the start of the course.

Time Commitment: 4-8 hours per week (1 hour of class time, 2 hours of optional meetings, 3-5 hours of independent work).
 

Course Overview

This course is

graded.

Classes

Register for an Online course by selecting an open class below. If no open classes are listed, then course enrollment is currently closed. Note: You will need to have an active CTY Account to complete registration through MyCTY.

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12 weeks
$953
Enroll
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12 weeks
$953
Enroll

Testing and Prerequisites

  Math Verbal
Required Level CTY-Level or CTY-Level
Check your eligibility using existing test scores If you do not have existing test scores:

Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.

Sign up for Testing Learn More

Cost and Financial Aid

  • Tuition
    • Varies
  • Application fee
    • Nonrefundable Application Fee - $15 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
    • Nonrefundable International Fee - $20 (outside US only)

Financial Aid

We have concluded our financial aid application review process for Academic Year 2023-2024 Online Programs (Courses with start dates July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024). Our application for Academic Year 2024-2025 Online Programs is expected to open in January. We encourage those who may need assistance in the future to apply for aid as early as possible.

Learn More

Course Materials

Please acquire all course materials by the course start date, unless noted as perishable. Items marked as “perishable” should not be acquired until the student needs them in the course. If you have questions about these materials or difficulty locating them, please contact [email protected].
 

  • We recommend that you have a real chessboard to play and practice on at home. 

Technical Requirements

This course requires a computer with high-speed Internet access and an up-to-date web browser such as Chrome or Firefox. You must be able to communicate with the instructor via email. Visit the Technical Requirements and Support page for more details.

This course uses a virtual classroom for instructor-student communication. The classroom works on standard computers with the Zoom desktop client, and on tablets or handhelds that support the Zoom Mobile app. Recorded meetings can only be viewed on a computer with the Zoom desktop client installed. The Zoom desktop client and Zoom Mobile App are both free to download.

Terms & Conditions

Virtual class meetings may be recorded for students to review.

After a you complete a course, your projects may be used to illustrate work for future students. 

You will need to create an account on a third-party site to access course resources.

About Mathematics at CTY

Our online Mathematics courses—spanning elementary through college-level curricula—cover a wide range of topics, from algebra and geometry to chess, cryptology, and AP Calculus and are guided by expert instructors. You’ll join group sessions with classmates to ensure you stay on track with challenging course content. Whether you’re looking for pure math fun and enrichment, to move up the math ladder and advance your honors and AP (and beyond) academic standing, or to train for mathematics competitions, there’s a CTY course that’s right for you.

New math enrichment courses available!

Explore our new math enrichment courses, including Excursions in Pre-algebra and Introduction to Logic and Proofs.

Join the exciting world of competitive math

Participate in the High School Math Club or enroll in 6 IP courses: Middle School Competitive Math I, Middle School Competitive Math II, Middle School Competitive Math III, Competitive Mathematics Prep, Competitive Mathematics I, Competitive Mathematics II.

Meet our Mathematics Instructors