Chess Classes in Surat
Structured, offline chess coaching for children and adults at Surat Chess Club — FIDE-rated coaches, small batches on real boards, and a ten-level curriculum that takes a student from their first move to rated tournament play. Families come to us from every part of Surat, and every student starts with a free trial class.
Why families across Surat choose us
Surat has no shortage of places that will teach a child how the pieces move. What is rare is a chess academy that treats the game as a skill to be built level by level, by a credentialed coach, on a real board — and can show you the students who have come through it. That is what Surat Chess Club has done in Vesu since 2016.
Rushi Shah — founder, FIDE-rated player, 15+ years over the board including national-level events for Gujarat — personally leads the Knight, Rook and Queen batches. He is in the room, not a name on a poster.
Ten progressive levels — Foundation, Development and Mastery — each with its own exercise workbook, so a parent can see exactly where a student is and what comes next. See the full curriculum.
Every student sits at a physical tournament board opposite a batchmate, with the coach moving between boards. Batches are capped so feedback is one-to-one, and nobody disappears in a crowd.
We organise and co-host rated and junior tournaments in Surat, run Play & Learn Sundays, and prepare students for open events — so competitive experience is part of the plan, not an afterthought.
Chess classes in Surat for every age and level
Students are placed by what they already know, not by age alone. These are the four groups that walk through our door most often, and where each usually starts.
Young beginners (4–8)
First pieces, first checkmates, first full games. Story-based lessons and short, active sessions, in the same class whichever plan you choose. More on our chess classes for kids.
School students (8–14)
Tactics, openings and endgame technique in a deliberate order, with puzzle sheets between sessions. Come two or three times a week, or every day: see the plans.
Tournament players
Rated and aspiring-rated players prepare with FM Jeet Jain (2312) on the King Plan — opening repertoire, calculation, game analysis.
Adults & working professionals
Yes, adults learn here — a dedicated adults-only batch (Tuesday to Saturday, 7:00–8:00 PM), the same level-by-level system, and the option to play rated open events in Surat when ready. See chess classes for adults.
Chess class fees in Surat
Fees are published, fixed for the term, and include the workbooks and puzzle sheets. Knight, Rook and Queen can be taken for 3 months, 6 months (10% off) or 12 months (15% off); King is 3 months only. The first trial class is free on every plan.
Knight, Rook and Queen are the same class with the same coach. You only choose how often.
Prices shown are for 3 months. Compare the plans side by side on the programs & fees page, or enroll online once you have done the trial.
Where in Surat we are
One classroom, easy to find: the first floor of Canal Walkk Shoppers on VIP Road, Vesu, directly opposite L.P. Savani School. Search "Surat Chess Club" on Google Maps and the pin lands on the door.
Most of our families live in Vesu, Piplod, Althan, City Light and Dumas Road, and a good number travel in from further across Surat for a coach and a system they trust. If you are weighing the drive, book the free trial first — the session itself is the best answer to whether it is worth it.
- Vesu
- Piplod
- Althan
- City Light
- Dumas Road
- VIP Road
- Parle Point
- Bhatar
- Athwa
- Ghod Dod Road
- Adajan
- Pal
- and across Surat
- Monday
- Closed (King Plan only, 6:00 to 8:00 PM)
- Tuesday to Friday
- 4:00 – 8:00 PM
- Saturday
- 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM & 4:00 – 8:00 PM
- Sunday
- 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM & 2:00 – 4:00 PM
- Call / WhatsApp
- +91 63521 56812
Chess tournaments and camps in Surat
Classes are only half of it. A student who never plays under a clock never finds out what they have learned — so we build the competitive side into the calendar, in Surat, for our own students and for the city.
Junior Rapid Chess Championship 2026
38 players in U7, U11 and U14, co-hosted with HopUp Sports Arena, City Light. Results and photographs →
AugOne-day camp with IM Anup Deshmukh
An International Master working with fourteen of our students on openings, plans and converting won positions →
JulSurat chess tournament, July 2026
75 players across three age groups at HopUp Sports Arena — our biggest event so far →
Between events, Rook and Queen students play Play & Learn Sundays, 2:00 to 4:00 PM: guided practice games on real boards, reviewed by the coach. See chess tournaments in Surat and chess camps.
How to choose a chess class in Surat — seven questions to ask
Whether you choose us or someone else, these are the questions that separate a serious chess academy from a hobby group. Ask them on the phone before you visit.
- Who actually teaches? Ask for the coach's FIDE ID and whether they are in the room for every session. Ours: Rushi Shah (FIDE-rated) and FM Jeet Jain (FIDE ID 5073022, rating 2312).
- Is there a written curriculum? "We teach openings and tactics" is not a curriculum. Ask to see the levels and what a student must demonstrate to move up. Ours is published.
- How big is the batch? Small batch sizes are the only way feedback stays individual. Ask how many students share a coach, and then judge the answer.
- Real boards or screens? Children who learn only on an app struggle with the physical board, the clock and the etiquette of a tournament hall. Every session here is over the board.
- Is there a free trial? A confident academy lets you sit in a real session, not a demo. Book ours.
- What happens between sessions? Puzzle sheets, workbook pages and a game to analyse — or nothing? Progress lives in the homework.
- Where do students play? Ask which tournaments the academy's students have played in the last six months, and whether the academy runs any of its own. Our record is public.
The coaches behind the classes
Rushi Shah
FIDE-rated player, 15+ years over the board including national-level tournaments for Gujarat. Founded Surat Chess Club in 2016 and has guided 500+ students from their first moves to rated play. Teaches Knight, Rook and Queen. Read his profile →
FM Jeet Jain
FIDE Master with a standard rating of 2312, a peak of 2361 and two International Master norms; coaching since 2015. Leads the King Plan for tournament players who want to push their rating. Read his profile →
Inside a session at our Surat classroom
Every 60-minute class follows the same rhythm. The first twenty minutes are a concept lesson on the demonstration board — one idea, built on last week's. The next twenty are guided practice: students work the idea on their own boards from puzzle sheets and set positions while the coach moves between tables. The final twenty are a real game against a batchmate, using the day's idea, reviewed at the end.
Students take home a tactical sheet, and parents get a monthly progress note. Play & Learn Sundays add a two-hour block of supervised games, 2:00 to 4:00 PM: one a month on the Rook Plan, two on the Queen Plan.
- Offline only — physical tournament boards and weighted pieces
- Batches grouped by level, capped for one-to-one feedback
- Workbooks and puzzle sheets included in the fees
- Classes in English, Hindi and Gujarati
- Monthly progress updates to parents
Chess classes in Surat — questions parents ask
What is the right age to start chess classes?
What do chess classes in Surat cost?
Do you teach adults, or only children?
Are the classes online or offline?
Where exactly is Surat Chess Club?
How long does it take to get a FIDE rating?
Do you run chess tournaments in Surat?
What are the class timings?
Which languages are classes taught in?
How do I book the free trial class?
See a class before you decide
One free session in a real batch at our Vesu classroom — same coach, same boards, same batchmates the student would have every week. No payment, no commitment.