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Mindful Masters
Chess Academy

You're a Step Away from Learning Chess from Real Masters

Expert guidance from real FIDE masters who will nurture your child's critical thinking, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills.

Our team will find you a coach

Book your 1-hour trial and experience the difference yourself!

We use a plethora of tools, but Lichess.org is our favorite. 

Schedule-flexible
Coaches for all levels
Safe environment
More than 100 parents recommend MM Chess. Here's what they say:
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Coaches

Meet the Masters

Experienced

Every coach has a track of positive reviews

Professional

All of them go through our Special Dev Program.

FIDE Masters

National, International, Women's and Grandmasters.

3-time Junior National Champion, rated 2500, 12 years of experience coaching.

Misha Vilenchuk

National Master, Founder of MM Chess

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Hong Kong International Open Champion with 8.5/9. Early-childhood psychologist

Luis Medarde

FIDE Master

Psychologist

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5-times National Champion. Ranked 8th best player of his country.

Fabian Vivas

FIDE Master 

Olympic player

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World U14 Champion (1999), Champion of Ukraine (2006).

Zahar Efimenko

Grandmaster

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What we stand for:

The mind is our most valuable tool, and excersicing it nowadays tends to be harder and harder... and expensive.

Chess should be accessible to everybody! As the premier brain-weightlifting sport, chess it's a superb tool for the development of memory, concentration, strategical thinking and sportmanship.

Find a plan that works for you

Plans & pricing
4-lesson pack

$140

A month's worth of lessons taken once a week. Great for beginners and younger kids.

Monthly Pack

$240

A month's worth of lessons (8) taken bi-weekly. Great for rapid-pace learners.

  • No auto-renewal.

  • Class credits never expire.

  • Classes are 100% cancelable with advanced notice.

10-Lesson Pack

$320

As a gift or lessons credit. Use whenever you'd like.

Most
popular

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Price comparison

The best deal you will find, period.

Flexible schedule

Certified Masters

Free monthly tournaments

eBooks and training material

Price of private classes:

MM Chess

ChessKid

Chessat3

ChessMax

$30/h

$70/h

$80/h

$90/h+

How do we teach chess?

We teach using holistic ways, so more than playing games, we set our students up for success by increasing their chances of admissions, and using the adquired skills in other areas of their lives.

It is also important that we follow a role-model approach for kids, that's why all of our coaches are award-winning athetes from a young age.

Why is MM the best choice for chess lessons?

You can consider MM as the perfect choice not for a single attribute, but because we offer the best balance between quality and affordability. 

If you’re a lifelong learner, just watched The Queen's Gambit, have wanted your kids to learn the game, or have always wanted to beat your dad and siblings, you now have a chance to improve become that player.

Is chess good for kids?

Builds self-improvement habits in a fun and rewarding way.

Reinforces a child's education, intellect, and sportmanship.

Becoming a top-10% player helps them realize their true potential!

Fun fact: Only 10% of players are rated over 1200elo

Kid looking upwards to the sky, feeling inspired, wearing a school uniform and a backpack

What is MM Chess?

Our mission

Chess should be accessible for everyone, no matter the budget. In our case, top quality, at a price that is unbeatable by comparable academies.

"Back in 2020, when the world went online, I had the idea to look for top-notch players from around the world who had coaching experience and what we call "winner attitude", train them and create a company that could work as a concierge for them, thus, MM Chess was born."

-Misha Vilenchuk. Founder of MM Chess, 3-time national junior champion, chess Master and coach for over 12 years.

How it all started

MM Chess as a company

We are a US-established company based in Chicago. Although we do offer collaborations with schools for in-person classes, our main focus is online.

We are happy to meet you and talk. Contact our Director at director@mmchess.org

  • What makes MM Academy qualified to teach?
    Head Coach Misha Vilenchuk developed a system to find the best chess masters to teach from around the world. As a result, we select instructors based on the following qualifications: A Master-level player as certified by FIDE or a national chess federation Strong communicative skills in English Emotional intelligence (& the ability to adapt lessons as needed) Experience teaching chess to children Trained by the MM Professional Development Program Find all of our coaches here
  • How are payments done?
    Our 200+ students use Stax for payments. You can see what they have to say here.
  • What process is used to teach at MM Chess Academy ?
    Our teachers believe in a systematic approach. We focus on building analytical skills by introducing one new concept at a time, and assigning homework throughout the week. The teaching is rooted in the Chess Steps curriculum.
  • How can I take the trial?
    If you would like to Book a trial lesson over the website click here. In this case, you’ll pay directly on the website. If you would like to schedule directly with us, let us know: The best time for you, and your time zone. Level of the student. Age of the student. Your email address and phone number. If you have a preferred coach (optional). You can check them out here. We’ll send a $10 invoice link over so you can pay in advance as a confirmation fee. We can accept Venmo or Zelle for the trial, but regular payments are done via invoice (Stax Payments) After the trial, the MM Coach will send the guidelines for enrolling in private lessons
  • Do you teach adults?
    Of course! They can take private lessons. Send an email to misha@mmchess.org if you would like to join a group or private lesson
  • Why I should choose MM Chess Academy ?
    MM Chess Academy is unique. 1. We hyperfocus on each individual student. 2. We follow a systematic process, rooted in the Chess Steps curriculum. 3. We are certified Masters. 4. We have a simple payments system.
  • How Online Lessons Works ?
    Classes are taught using: - A video medium such as Zoom or Google Meets - An interactive chessboard, such as lichess.org. Both you and the coach can move the pieces and draw arrows. ​ The coach will teach you new ideas, analyze your games, and answer any questions you have. Our focus is on teaching, not just playing.
  • What is the range of price for these classes ?
    We offer affordable prices of $25-35/hour. There is:​ No auto-renewal Class credits never expire Classes are 100% cancelable with advanced notice
  • Do you also do this for autistic children?
    Yes! We have some kids on the spectrum and one teacher that specifically works with a few kids with autism/learning disabilities.
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