At UK Chess Challenge we are obsessed with enabling young people to fall in love with this timelessly brilliant game. Whether students want to learn so they can have fun and play with their friends, whether they just enjoy solving logical puzzles or whether they want to go on and win International champions and titles we are here to serve.
As well as the video courses we have available in our online school we also run the World's Largest junior chess competition and run interactive chess clubs throughout the year. We are certifiably chess mad !
Hi, We're Sarah and Alex Longson
We love chess - the competitive thrill, the intellectual challenge, the thriving community. We set up Chess Stars Academy to introduce more people to this amazing game and to inject a bit of fun into learning how to get great at it!
We both played chess as juniors and both represented England at junior level with Sarah going on to play internationally at senior level also. We actually met at a chess tournament in Gatwick in 2011 and in 2016 got married - so safe to say chess has played an important part in our lives!
Sarah’s enthusiasm for chess is infectious. She has a wonderful way of teaching and gives excellent support to chess parents too
- Katie Birks (mother of Joe - British U10 Champion)
Benefits of Chess
Promotes imagination and creativity
Teaches that success is a result of hard work and perserverance
Teaches children about planning ahead taking responsibility for decisions
Teaches children how to be patient and to take turns
Teaches humilty - how to win well and how to lose well
Brings people together to play a game all can enjoy