Chess Club
♔ Join Edison Chess! ♕
Registration for 2026–2027 is open!
All levels of chess players are welcome, from brand-new beginners with no prior chess knowledge to seasoned tournament players. Students in first through eighth grades will hone their chess skills under the guidance of our professional coaches and build friendships with teammates of all ages.
Interested kindergarteners should register for the waitlist. You will be contacted if space is available for younger students, with priority given to experienced players.
The Basics
- Tuesdays from 3PM–4PM
- Fall: September 8–December 15 (no class 11/3 or 11/24)
- Spring: January 5–May 4 (no class 2/23, 3/23, or 4/6)
- Open to grades 1–8
- Fee: $200 per session
Edison's state and city championship-winning chess program is a pillar in our school's vision of developing global citizens through learner-driven experiences. As members of this all-ages team, students nurture relationships with friends across grade levels. No prior chess knowledge required!
To register, you'll be able to select Fall session, Spring session, or both to secure your spot for the full school year. Chess Club members are admitted in order of registration date and time. The club fills to capacity quickly, and additional students will be added to a waitlist. We will do our best to accommodate as many students as we can!
If you need to register more than one student, please complete separate transactions for each child.
May 11th will be the annual family celebration, open to anyone who participates in Chess Club during the 26/27 school year.
About Club Fees
Registration includes an Edison Chess team t-shirt and eligibility to participate in off-site tournaments for K-8 students hosted by Chicago Public Schools. In past years, the cost per student to participate in Edison's Chess Club was lower, subsidized by a mix of funds from the school, support from the CPS Academic Chess program, PTO contributions, and parent volunteer time. This year, your registration fee covers the full cost of our coaches at Twist and Shout running the program independently.
Full or partial fee waivers are available for families needing financial support. To request, email [email protected].
What's Next?
Chess Club meets every Tuesday after school at Edison, with pickup at 4PM.
Join the WhatsApp community to receive key information and connect with other Chess Club families — the link is included in your registration confirmation email.
Parents of all students who participate in chess must complete two separate forms from CPS Academic Chess that require your non-electronic signature: Permission Form and Data Sheet and CPS Media Release. Before your student's first day at Chess Club, please email your signed forms to [email protected] and [email protected].
Parents can volunteer anytime after obtaining CPS volunteer clearance. Email [email protected] to let us know you'd like to drop in on any Tuesday (level I or level II clearance). Level I clearance is needed for chaperoning official tournaments. If you have questions about the volunteer process, refer to the PTO's walkthrough or email our school clerk, Veronica Santos, at [email protected].
Coaching
Since 2022, Edison's Chess Club has been led by Head Coach Lamar Lockett. Lamar will be joined by our veteran coaches including Drew Bell and Gunn Kim. Lamar has been playing chess for over 30 years and teaching chess for more than half of that time, coaching Edison teams and individuals to many state and city-wide championships. He is the executive director of Twist and Shout School of the Performing Arts, on the board of the Chicago Chess Center, hosts teacher training for CPS Academic Chess, and teaches at a variety of chess camps including at Whitney Young High School.
Our coaches are available for private lessons either in person or virtual. For more information, email [email protected].
Practicing at Home
Parents can easily monitor their student's progress if students choose to utilize online practice options. Players should be practicing chess puzzles at home regularly and can work on topics discussed in class.
Lichess
We will be utilizing Lichess as a key tool in our Chess Club curriculum.
Please create a Lichess account for your student if they do not already have one at https://lichess.org/login
Follow directions here to enable kid mode.
Join the team! Email [email protected] for the link to join Edison's online tournaments for our students.
ChessKid
All students will also have access to ChessKid, the Chess.com site for kids. ChessKid will be most useful to our beginner players.
If your student does not yet have a login, we will be creating one and sending you the login details.
If you already have a login, let us know if you are having difficulty logging in.
ChessPuzzle.net
https://chesspuzzle.net/ is a great practice tool for puzzles, and several of the Edison team players are already using it and love it. The premium version, "Puzzle Academy," is highly recommended by Coach Lamar, as it provides a comprehensive curriculum, from fundamentals to advanced tactics and endgames. Subscriptions are $25 annually.
