Delancey UK Schools’ Chess Challenge

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Club Profile

Sarah and Alex Longson met at a chess tournament in 2011. Sarah Longson is a former British Ladies Champion and has coached several members of the England junior team. She manages the student and parent-facing side of the business. Alex Longson is a qualified accountant and a FIDE Master. He manages the back-office processes and writes the chess training content. They are based in Cheshire and have two young children.

Weekly Schedule

• UK Junior Chess Academy: Offers weekly group classes lasting 45 minutes, hosted online via Zoom. There are 8 classes throughout the week, and it is recommended to attend one or two classes per week.
  • The Spring 2025 term runs from Monday 6th January to Friday 4th April, with a one-week break for half-term commencing 17th February.
  • Example class times for Spring 2025 include:
    • Monday 17:15 (Deca, <600 rating)
    • Tuesday 18:15 (Mega, 600-999 rating)
    • Wednesday 17:15 (Giga, 1000-1599 rating)
    • Friday 17:15 (Tera/Exa, 2000+ rating)
  • All classes are recorded and available for playback.
• 1-2-1 Coaching with Sarah: This is a bespoke coaching package with 2 x 45 minute live calls in the first month to establish a training foundation. Ongoing mentoring sessions are typically 45 minutes. The frequency of these sessions can be tailored.
• School Chess Tournament Pack: This is a 7-week competition designed to be run within schools, with a suggested one round per week.

Who Can Join

• The programs cater to junior chess players of all ages and abilities, from complete beginners to those striving for international squad selection.
• The UK Chess Challenge is open to all children in the UK.
• The UK Junior Chess Academy is for ambitious and enthusiastic young chess players at any experience level. Students are split into ability groups for classes.
• The School Chess Tournament Pack is for school chess club members.

How Much Does it Cost

• UK Junior Chess Academy:
  • Annual membership: £399 (equivalent to £33 per month).
  • Monthly membership: £49 per month.
• 1-2-1 Coaching with Sarah: £199 per month, including 1 x 45-minute mentoring session, with additional monthly sessions costing £100 each. Pricing for a more intensive personalised development program starts from £299 per month.
• School Chess Tournament Pack: £2.30 per player for a 7-week competition, with kits available for different numbers of players.

Competitive Opportunities

• The Delancey UK Chess Challenge: The UK’s largest chess competition, with in-person and online events. It is a multi-stage event progressing from local “Megafinals” to “Gigafinals” and the national “Terafinal”.
• Academy Training Tournaments: Regular online training tournaments are hosted on lichess.org with prizes for different ability categories.
• The School Chess Tournament Pack introduces students to the excitement of competition within their school setting. This can serve as a warm-up for the Megafinals.
• The Academy also recommends suitable tournaments to play on lichess.org based on a player’s rank.

Mission of the School and the Background

The mission of the Delancey UK Schools’ Chess Challenge is to inspire and nurture a generation of children with skills like critical thinking, confidence, resilience, and empathy through the game of chess. They aim to make chess accessible and enjoyable for children of all abilities, fostering both personal growth and a love for the game.

Alumni Achievements

• The Academy has helped produce champions and medal winners at events such as the British Championships, UKCC Terafinals, World Schools, World Cadets, and British Blitz since 2017.
• Examples include Academy Gold medallists at the 2022 World Schools Championships and winners of the U16 British Champion and British Under 12 Champion titles.
• Many of England’s top junior talents have passed through the Academy.

Additional Information

The Academy occasionally invites special speakers for Q&A sessions and ‘simul’ matches.

The company works with the English Chess Federation to deliver their flagship Academy Programme.

They develop all teaching materials in-house and constantly innovate using the latest technologies.

Unlimited parental support is offered, including email support for Academy members. Parents of 1-2-1 coaching students can discuss any topic by phone or even meet for coffee.

Academy members gain access to a training library and live group training sessions.

Contacts:

E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 07776 455144
Web site: https://www.delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com/

All information provided on this website is gathered from publicly available sources, including the official websites and pages of individual clubs and organisations. While we aim to keep the content accurate and up to date, we cannot guarantee its completeness or reliability. We advise visitors to verify details directly with the respective clubs before making any decisions.

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