[Parker] has been to many summer camps but I think it is fair to say that this is his favourite one yet.  It seems to be a perfect blend of mental, physical and creative activity and he comes home every day so excited to tell us about his activities that day and his chess matches.  Thank you again for putting together such a great camp.
~ BRAD AND HARUE MACDONALD, Parents



Summer Chess Camp


Update: As part of the province-wide effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, we are running our 2020 chess camps online. For a full list of our highly interactive and engaging online summer camp options, including daily, weekly, and drop-in sessions for every age and chess level, please click here >.

Details and Registration >

Information below refers to our usual in-person camps which are not running in 2020:

Children who have attended our Summer Chess Camp count the days until next year’s camp! Our summer camp runs for five weeks in July, providing participants with a wonderful opportunity to continue with chess even when school is not in session. The camp is often the highlight of the year for children, offering a unique experience that incorporates intensive chess lessons, engaging sports activities, special arts projects, along with unique programming, events and guests, making it a rich summer chess experience for everyone!









What do we do at Camp?

Daily camp activities for each age group are organized around daily and weekly themes. As an example, here’s what a schedule for the Jr. Masters (grade 4-8) group on “Magic Day” might look like this:

  • 9:00-9:15 – Arrival and welcome, supervised play in activity corners
  • 9:15-9:25 – Morning meeting
  • 9:25-10:25 – Chess activity 1 – ‘The Magician from Riga’: Tactics and Sacrifices in the games of Mikhail Tal + Tournament games
  • 10:25-10:45 – Morning snack break
  • 10:45-11:45 – Chess activity 2 – ‘Magic on Board’: How to survive lost positions + ‘Be the Magician’ problem solving contest
  • 11:45-12:30 – Lunch / Work on art project
  • 12:30-1:00 – Ultimate Frisbee / Dodgeball (Field)
  • 1:00-1:45 – Robin Hood Archery Workshop (Main gym)
  • 1:45-2:00 – Snack break and play time
  • 2:00-3:00 – Guest Magician – Magic Show + Chess Magic Workshop
  • 3:00-3:15 – Room transfer, break and cleanup
  • 3:15-3:50 – Chess activity 3 – ‘The Disappearing Pieces’ + Bughouse partners chess tournament
  • 3:50-4:00 – End of Day Meeting, Summary and pickup



Thanks so much for the photos and a great week of camp! Aaron thoroughly enjoyed it and spent the weekend challenging us to games of chess, proudly showing off new moves and knowledge he learned from you. He also loved the other activities – especially archery. We were really impressed with the level of organisation and range of activities you offered. Looking forward to continuing our association with the Chess Institute – hopefully through chess club at school this coming year. Thanks again!
~ ANDREA QUESNELLE, Parent



Camp details and contact information

Our CIC camp organizational team always creates an exciting curriculum which guarantees campers a well-rounded, fun and exciting experience, where chess lessons are enhanced by connections to challenging off-the-board activities.

Details and Registration >

For any questions at all please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@chessinstitute.ca, or at 647-852-2428.

< Our Camps



Thank you also for making camp safe and fun for Joshua once again. He had a great time. You do an amazing job.
~ ROXANA CRANE, Parent