About
Bay Area Chess offers Regular Chess Camp, Master Chess Camp, Strategy-Games Camp, Online Chess Classes, Tournament Team training, Rising Star Event practice, Los Gatos Chess Club, and weekly drop-in club classes. Regular Chess Camp has half-day blocks, and a full-day camp can be created by registering for both half-days. In-person camps are for players Level 1-4, while Master Chess Camp is for players with a 700+ USCF rating.
Programs
- Regular Chess Camp — 5 years or older; lower teens welcome · Half-day block options available; full-day camp can be created by registering for both half-days. Prior chess knowledge is not required. In-person camps are for players Level 1-4.
- Master Chess Camp — For more experienced players with 700+ USCF Rating. Master camps are generally taught by Titled Coaches. A free rated game is played every Friday of Master Camps.
- Strategy-Games Camp — A camp experience targeting a variety of games and concepts beyond chess.
- After-School Chess Programs — BAC after-school chess programs are coming this Fall.
- Tournament Team — 6-15 · Starts September 19; select Saturdays, 12:00 PM-2:00 PM · Tournament-focused training for competitive scholastic players.
- Online Chess Classes — Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; 60-minute weekly classes · Beginner through Advanced classes hosted via Zoom and ChessKid.
- Rising Star Event — Saturday, September 12th, 12:15 PM-1:45 PM · Great practice for new unrated players.
- Los Gatos Chess Club — Every Saturday, 3:00 PM-5:00 PM
- Drop-in Club Classes — Every week · Drop-in (single session) club classes are offered in Palo Alto, San Jose, Fremont, Cupertino, and Santa Clara.
At a glance
- Ages: 5–16 years old
- Current session: 2026 Fall & Winter Camps (Sep 7–Dec 31, 2026); Track A5 (Oct 28–Dec 18, 2026)
- General schedule: In-person camps offer morning and afternoon blocks; sample morning schedule is 9:00 AM-1:00 PM and sample afternoon schedule is 1:00 PM-5:00 PM. Early drop is available 8:30 AM-9:00 AM and late pickup is available 5:00 PM-5:30 PM.
About the provider
Bay Area Chess was founded by Salman Azhar. Its mission is to introduce children of all ages to everything chess has to offer, socially and academically, in the Bay Area and beyond. Bay Area Chess is listed as the #1 USCF affiliate west of Texas for 10+ years running from 2008 to 2026, and it was named 2018 Chess Club of the Year by the US Chess Federation.
New players are welcome at all in-person camps. Prior chess knowledge is not required. In-person camps are for players Level 1-4 (under 1100 USCF or under 1400 chesskid). Master camps are for more experienced players with 700+ USCF Rating. Snacks are described on the page, but health/hygiene/COVID protocols are excluded.
Last updated September 15, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.