Chess tutors

Chess sits outside the exam system: there's no GCSE or A-level in it, so a tutor is judged on playing strength and coaching record rather than spec coverage. That's why the levels here run from Beginner to Advanced rather than KS2 to A-level. The English Chess Federation runs the closest thing to a graded ladder, the Certificate of Excellence, where the Bronze and Silver tests cover notation, openings, basic tactics and simple endgames before Gold and Diamond. Competitive juniors are more often measured by an ECF rating, published on an Elo-comparable scale since 2020, and by results at events like the Delancey UK Schools' Chess Challenge, which groups entrants by age from Under-8 to Under-18. Tutoring helps most where self-study stalls: going through a student's own losses with them, and building an opening repertoire that suits the way they actually play. Ask what rating range a tutor usually coaches and whether they teach over the board or online.