Hotel Rafayel, Battersea
Our Battersea camp runs at Hotel Rafayel, a riverside venue on Lombard Road (SW11 3RF). It's a calm, comfortable setting with parking on site and a riverside restaurant.

London Christian School, Borough
Our Borough camp runs at London Christian School on Tabard Street (SE1 4JU), a short walk from Borough station. Children are based in the school's classrooms, set up for our two ability groups.

Our Battersea camp is for children aged 6 to 14 (Years 2 to 9), and our Borough camp at London Christian School is for ages 6 to 11 (Years 2 to 6). We group children by age and ability so everyone is well matched, whether they're picking up a piece for the first time or already playing in tournaments.

If your child is just outside these ages, drop us a line and we'll do our best to fit them in.

Many of our players start as complete beginners. Our coaches teach right from the very first move, in a friendly, encouraging way, so no experience is needed at all.

Because we group by ability, stronger and more experienced players are stretched too, with more competitive games and tournament preparation.

Submit your info above. We'll confirm availability and send your price and bank details asap. Payment is by bank transfer, and the place is held once payment reaches us — places are limited and allocated first-paid, so book early.

Yes. A full day runs 9am–4pm; a half day runs 9am–1pm. The half-day option is aimed at our youngest players (ages 5-6), for whom a shorter day often works better.

Single full days (£60) and single half days (£35) are available.

• Sibling discount — 10% off your second and any further child on the same week. Tick the sibling box on the booking form (or mention it when you email) and we'll apply it.

• Bursaries — we never want cost to stop a child taking part. If a place would be a stretch, get in touch — we hold bursary places each camp and sort it discreetly.

Yes — wraparound care is available if you need a little more flexibility. Late pick-up until 5pm is £5 per day each. Tick it on the booking form when you book, or add it later — just let us know.

A packed lunch, a water bottle (a refill station is available), snacks for the breaks, and comfortable clothes. Everything needed for the chess itself — boards, sets and materials — is provided.

Yes. All our coaches hold an enhanced DBS check including the Children's Barred List. CheckMate Experiences is fully insured and ICO-registered, and we follow clear safeguarding policies at every session. You can read our full safeguarding policy here.

Plans change — just email us at coaching@checkmateexperiences.co.uk as soon as you can. Whether a refund applies depends on how much notice you give, as set out in our Holiday Camp Terms & Conditions. Wherever possible, we'll try to move your booking to another week as an alternative.