Chess RepublicAcademy · Est. Melbourne
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Our story

A proper chess academy, built for the suburbs.

Chess Republic started with a simple frustration — Melbourne kids who loved chess had nowhere serious to learn close to home. So we built it.

Chess Republic students with their coaches
Winter event group
"the kid who lost his first game last year just won the rapid"
How it began

Two coaches. One obsession with chess education.

Madu and Chamal had been coaching chess on the side for years — at schools, weekend sessions, the occasional tournament. They kept hearing the same thing from parents. The school program ended after one term. The city club was an hour away. Online lessons didn't stick. Their kids had momentum and no place to put it.

So they started running a proper weekly class out of one community hall. Then a second. Then a third. Three years on, Chess Republic runs across nine Melbourne suburbs and several hundred young players have come through our doors.

The principle hasn't changed since the first class — small groups, real curriculum, coaches who know your child's name and remember last week's game.

What we believe

Three principles that show up in every class.

i.

Skill, not age

A bright six-year-old can outplay a casual ten-year-old. We assess every student before placement, so nobody is bored and nobody is lost. Kids move up when their coach decides they're ready — not on a calendar.

ii.

Play more than you study

Chess is learned at the board, not the whiteboard. Every level includes structured play time, practice tournaments, and a weekly games night. Theory exists to make play more interesting — never the other way around.

iii.

Lose well

Every chess player loses. The kids who get good are the ones who can lose, shake hands, and want a rematch. That's the actual lesson — and we put as much energy into teaching it as we do tactics.

The team

Coaches who teach. Players who play.

Most chess clubs are run by strong players. Chess Republic is run by strong teachers who happen to be strong players — and we think the difference shows up in the kids.

Madu co-founder · head coach

Madu runs curriculum and coach development. Years of chess teaching across schools and clubs in Melbourne. Particularly strong with first-time learners and the New to Chess level — she has a way of getting a four-year-old to checkmate by the end of a single class.

Class with Madu →
Chamal co-founder · tournaments

Chamal runs tournament prep and our advanced classes. He coaches the students chasing rating points and runs every in-house event. If your child plays in a Chess Republic tournament, Chamal probably wrote the pairings.

Class with Chamal →
A few numbers

Three years, in plain figures.

9

Melbourne venues

5

Curriculum levels

300+

Active students

40+

In-house tournaments run

come and meet us

The best way to know if we're a fit?
Walk into a class.

Trial classes are free. No commitment, no awkward sales chat. We'll assess your child, place them in the right group, and you'll know within an hour if it works.

Book a free trial See the curriculum