Chess Emporium

Update 8/25/2022: Changing my 1 star to 4 star after receiving a sincere and honest handwritten letter from Freddy Neumann the director of Chess Emporium. He also sent a full refund of the tournament fee for both my kids. Really appreciate his sensitivity to our concerns and addressing it in the most appropriate manner. Mistakes happen everywhere but good directors like this keep the organization going. Looking forward to continuing participating in more events at Chess Emporium Posted 8/6/2022: My son played the Governor’s cup and had a touch move touch take issue that his opponent did. The coaches in the hall decided to give the benefit of doubt to the opponent and asked my son to change his move and because of which he lost. Today both my daughter and son were enrolled in the K-3 and K-6 sections Phoenix Mercury Mash Up as per advice from chess emporium to enroll based on their ages,but without informing us the kids were thrown into the Champs section which is way above their rating. We accepted it, played and my son places 7th place. They said there were trophies for top 8 and they end up saying they forgot to bring a few trophies. Very unprofessional and not expecting this from a well known Chess Emporium. So this is the 2nd time we are experiencing such issues. I would expect a reputed chess organization to conduct the event in a more orderly manner.

After one week of summer camp my 8.5 year old has shown immense improvement in his chess game and patience. I give big credit to the coaches and their desire for the kids to make progress everyday. Looking forward to friday tournaments and possibly more camp later this summer. Very impressed with this place!

We ABSOLUTELY LOVE this place. Our oldest son played back in 2009-2012. His game level improved and he gained a stellar capacity to create a strategy when playing. He loved it! I claim that his ACT score of 34/36 was due to chess playing...years later my youngest son is now playing he is a beginner but we can wait for a long term stay with our old chess friends. Chess is a gift we love sharing with our children. CAN'T WAIT TO BE BACK!

Son joined chess club at school with minimal chess knowledge. He loves chess club. We've done Friday night and Saturday tournaments---great experience learning sportsmanship for my young son. The coaches all seem very nice and knowledgeable.

Chess Emporium has been a great partner in improving the chess playing ability of my son. He has enjoyed the coaching he received at his school club, he has enjoyed the challenging and sometimes frustrating - but I consider that a good thing Premium Center classes, but most of all, he has enjoyed the well-organized, professionally orchestrated weekly school team chess tournaments. I have always found the staff to be helpful and courteous. I highly recommend Chess Emporium.

We Chess Emporium! The coaches are excellent and very friendly. Their web-based system for managing tournament and class schedules is very convenient. Their system for instruction makes it super easy for the kids to learn the concepts and apply them in real games. The tournaments Wednesday, Friday, Saturday are usually very challenging and provide a great opportunity for kids of any skill level to practice their skills and progress in their ratings.

My son learned how to play chess via Chess Emporium through his school program, and he love it. The coaches at Chess Emporium know how to work with kids very well. All the coaches that we met.... Alex, Leo, Ivan, Damien, Andrew just to name a few, are all top notch. The summer chess camp is very well organize, and I highly recommend those who thinking of having their kids playing chess should try it out. Without Chess Emporium program, I don't think kid would be able to get expose to playing chess at a high level. If you have problem with the coaches, speak to the owner, Scott, he will take care of it. Thank you Chess Emporium.

If Chess Emporium were not in the schools, we never would have unlocked the passion our three children have for the game of chess. However, chess is more than a game for our children. Our kids developed new friendships, improved their performance in school, and discovered an internal drive to succeed unlike anything I've seen in them before. The coaches we've worked with are not only accomplished chess players, but are also excellent teachers and show tremendous commitment to to the education of the students. While the after school programs are economical and helpful to introduce chess concepts, participation in tournaments provides valuable learning experiences. As has been noted by another reviewer, the tournaments are amazingly well run, always on-time, and almost flawless in their execution amazing given the 200+ kids who participate. We find that the tournament fee is reasonable considering this is an all-day event, and is in-line with other chess tournaments in the area. For those who are more serious about their chess education, the "Premium Center Classes" are highly effective and recommended. All of the essential skills needed to become a proficient chess player are laid out in a structured program, which, with instructor guidance and qualifying "tests" at the end of each lesson, ensure each skill is understood before moving on. The teachers do a great job of reviewing each child's progress and proficiency before each lesson so that almost every child learns something new at each weekly class. Without a doubt, our children have become better chess players through the center classes than they otherwise could have with self–instruction. The Chess Emporium has something to offer for people of all ages including "Open" sections at tournaments for those beyond 6th grade, but the Chess Emporium's classes and tournaments are largely populated by children in grades K-6. I suspect that this has much to do with the market, with kids finding other options for after school activities starting in 7th grade. Perhaps, if the Chess Emporium is successful in sparking the interest of kids in elementary school, like ours, they will find themselves with a growing base of chess enthusiasts in Junior High and High School.

I was a student in 3rd grade, and when I was 16 years old I received a postcard from the owner inviting former students to work part time doing data input and clerical work. There were a lot of good people there, and I enjoyed instruction. However, I was asked to stay and complete tasks until they were finished, sometimes late into the night 11pm and was not paid for those hours, or given overtime. I wish I had the presence of mind at the time to report the company to the Arizona Labor board for serious violations. While it is probably too late now, it did happen, and it was against the law. If your children are interested in Chess, that is great hopefully they continue.

The Chess Emporium is a great place to learn, not only how to play chess, but to better yourself as a person. They teach children how to better themselves and work individually to gain self worth and meet personal goals. Team work, however, is also greatly stressed by the coaches. I recommend these guys every chance I can.