How to organize a Big Chess Camp in your area!
What does it take to teach people how to play chess? Turns out, not a lot! With the help of some volunteers and a few sheets of paper, you too can take chess to multiple people. Sounds too good to be true? ChessBase India and Teach Chess India will help you understand how you can organize the Big Chess Camp in your area, to promote and push the game of chess forward! Read on to know how this works.
This article has been created to help anyone interested in organizing the Big Chess Camp in their area.
How it started
Back in 2023, our Chess Club at Phoenix Marketcity Mall was over a year old. The beauty of running a chess club inside a mall - we would always have onlookers who were completely new to game, intrigued as they saw people sitting across a chessboard, pieces flying off the board. We decided we should have something that could bring these people into the fold. That's how the first edition of the Big Chess Summer Camp was launched.
Our aim was simple: For those who do not know the rules of chess, or know them only partially, we would like them to reach a level where they could play a good game of chess. And those who already knew chess, could improve at the game. Basically to make an inclusive camp where everyone was welcomed.
No entry fees, no prior registration needed. All we asked from people was their curiosity and participation. This is a very important principle for us. We don't charge people for teaching them for the camp. It is something that we are doing out of our passion, and we ask that anyone who wants to conduct a camp in their locality also abide by this principle. You can find a local sponsor who can support your costs of the event and in return you can provide value by adding their logo on the sheets and in the promotional material you create.
How it works
We have curated a curriculum of sheets with different puzzles and positions created by various experienced trainers and chess enthusiasts. From beginner to advanced, we have multiple levels that explore different themes of chess based on the strength of the student.
A volunteer is needed to speak to learners to understand their level of chess understanding and give them a sheet corresponding to their strength. If somebody is completely new to the game, they start on Level 1.
Once they finish the first sheet, they go to a volunteer and get their sheet corrected from the volunteer. If everything is correct, they get sheet 2. If something is incorrect then the volunteer/trainer does not reveal the answer, but rather nudges the student to solve again, maybe by giving them a small hint. In this regard it would be greatly important that the volunteer/trainer is well versed with the training material.
The beauty of the Big Chess Camp is that people can learn at their own pace. There is no one who is forced to learn. If someone wants to solve 10 sheets, then great. If someone wants to solve 1 sheet and end the day, then also great! The main idea is that chess learning should happen voluntarily and not in a forced manner. This is the entire basis of the Big Chess Camp.
Things needed to run a Big Chess Camp
You would need tables and chairs that are comfortable for people to sit and solve the sheets.
You would need a team of volunteers who can assist people, and guide them when they get stuck.
You don't need to have chessboards to conduct the camp, but it is good to have them on hand. People like to set the positions on the board and move the pieces as they are figuring things out. It certainly makes it easier for people who are new to chess to think through positions.
Print out of the camp worksheets, pens and pencils.
Prizes to give to the best students to motivate them.
How to get the camp worksheets
You can download the camp worksheets and the answer key to sheets from the links below. We will be periodically updating the sheets, so please check if you have the latest version of the sheets when you conduct a camp.
Download Level 1 Sheets
Download Level 2 Sheets
Download Level 3 Sheets
Download Level 4 Sheets
Download Answer Key
Last Updated: 3rd May 2026
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