The battle belongs to the smart.

Every move in the game of chess is a battle-move, just like every move in our lives. With ACA After-School Enrichment Program, you get the early-mover advantage – a must for winners today.

Build critical-thinking skills, self-confidence and sportsmanship with our After-School Enrichment Program.

At ACA, we believe learning should be fun, especially when it comes to learning a serious game like chess. Our curriculum is designed to impart the many benefits of learning chess such as critical thinking, sportsmanship, and learning from mistakes in a challenging and exciting way. In addition to lessons and traditional gameplay, we incorporate variations of chess games that build teamwork and foster a genuine enjoyment of a game over a thousand years old.

Right from the general rules of play to advanced tactics and strategy, our program is designed to teach not only the experienced player, but also the interested beginner.

Benefits: Learning chess

  • Helps to build student’s logic, memory and pattern recognition.

  • Cultivates problem solving ability, analytical skills and critical thinking.

  • Improves problem solving and critical thinking skills.

  • Boosts memory and retention.

  • Has been proven to increase IQ and test scores.

  • Increases visualization and imagination capability.

  • Improves math and reading skills.

  • Teaches good sportsmanship in a group environment.

Curriculum: Overview

Meets once per week, after school for one hour. Students are introduced to a new lesson each week, which includes new strategies and techniques. As part of each class, students practice new strategies through partner-play including:

  • Checkmate & Stalemate

  • Pawn Structure

  • In-Your-Face & Back-Rank Checkmate Patterns

  • Pawn Promotion

  • King & Rook Checkmate

  • Draws

  • Center Board

  • Object of the game

  • Piece Development

  • Piece movement

  • Piece Value & Exchange

  • Introduction to Checkmates

  • Castling & Development

  • Checkmate with two rooks

  • Endgame Basics

Participating Schools

  • Glendale Montessori
    413 West Doran St
    Glendale, CA 91203
    Phone: 818 240 9415

  • Longfellow Elementary, Pasadena
    1065 E Washington Blvd
    Pasadena, CA 91104
    Phone: 626 396 5720

  • La Crescenta Elementary
    4343 La Crescenta Ave
    La Crescenta-Montrose, CA 91214
    Phone: 818 249 3187

  • Dunsmore Elementary School
    4717 Dunsmore Ave
    La Cresenta, CA 91214
    Phone: 818 248 1758

  • Stratford Elementary, Pasadena
    2046 Allen Ave
    Altadena, CA 91001
    Phone: 626 532 8367

  • Round Meadow Elementary, Calabasas
    5151 Round Meadow Rd
    Hidden Hills, CA 91302
    Phone: 818 883 6750

  • Scholars Preparatory School, Burbank
    1001 S Glenoaks Blvd
    Burbank, CA 91502
    Phone: 818 242 3344

  • The Oaks school, Hollywood
    6817 Franklin Ave
    Los Angeles, CA 90028
    Phone: 323 850 3755

  • Yerba Buena Elementary, Agoura Hills
    6098 Reyes Adobe Rd
    Agoura Hills, CA 91301
    Phone: 818 889 0040

  • Field Elementary, Pasadena
    3600 E Sierra Madre Blvd
    Pasadena, CA 91107
    Phone: 626 396 5860

  • John Muir Elementary, Glendale
    912 S Chevy Chase Dr
    Glendale, CA 91205
    Phone: 818 241 4848

  • Willow Elementary, Agoura Hills
    29026 Laro Dr
    Agoura Hills, CA 91301
    Phone: 818 889 0677

  • Oak Hills Elementary
    26730 Old Rock Road,
    Valencia, CA 91381