At the NSCF, we believe chess is far more than a game—it is a comprehensive tool for developing a child’s intellectual, emotional, and social skills. For over 35 years, we have been the premier provider of scholastic chess instruction in the region.

Our unique curriculum shifts the focus away from simply winning and places it on developing decision-making skills, critical thinking, independent study habits, and logical reasoning. This approach builds a child’s confidence, encourages healthy risk-taking, and reduces performance anxiety. 

Read more on The Benefits of Chess in Education.

Decades of research show that regular chess instruction introduces and reinforces vital 21st-century academic skills. Specifically, chess has been proven to:

• Improve concentration, focus, and self-discipline.
• Cultivate spatial visualization and pattern recognition.
• Strengthen Executive Functioning (the mental processes that help children plan, filter distractions, prioritize tasks, and handle setbacks).
• Raise self-esteem and promote good sportsmanship.
• Combat summer learning loss; studies show that weekly chess helps boost standardized math and reading scores.

Read more on The Benefits of Chess in Education.

Our camps are led exclusively by full-time chess professionals and active tournament players, including titled chess masters. This allows us to uniquely combine top-tier competitive experience with proven classroom expertise, ensuring your child receives the highest-quality scholastic instruction available.

The lead instructor for our 2026 summer program in Hartsdale is International Master Silas Ebsen Lund.

We offer summer camp options across multiple regions but our main camps are:

• Westchester: We offer 6 weeks of immersive chess camps hosted at The Leffell School in Hartsdale, NY.
• Manhattan Camps: We administer the prestigious Hunter Chess Camp held at the Hunter College Campus Schools.
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• Please check our Summer Programs Page for this year’s exact dates, weekly schedules, and open registration links.

We believe in exercising both mind and body. A typical full-day camp session balances formal, structured group and individual lessons with friendly tournament competition. To keep campers energized and engaged, the day also features outdoor physical activities like soccer and basketball.

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Yes. For our full-time camp programs (such as the Hartsdale location), a hot lunch is included in the camp registration fee.

Yes! The NSCF frequently partners with local parks and recreation departments, Boys & Girls Clubs, and other youth organizations to embed half-day or specialized chess instruction into general-interest summer programs. If you are a camp director interested in adding chess to your programming, please contact us at classes@nscfchess.org.

The NSCF provides high-quality enrichment classes before school, after school, and during lunch periods across a wide geographic footprint, including:

• New York: Westchester County and The Bronx.
• Connecticut: Fairfield County and Western Connecticut.
• Pennsylvania: Delaware County
• Florida: Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.

Every weekly session provides a deliberate balance between a formal chess lesson and structured playtime. We have a comprehensive curriculum that can take students from complete beginners to aspiring tournament players in a relatively short period of time.

In the play portion of the class, students are paired with opponents of similar skill levels. During and after play, our instructors provide personalized, helpful commentary on the games to ensure students are actively applying the tactical and strategic concepts taught in class.

Most of our extracurricular school programs are run in partnership with a school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). To make the process seamless for parent volunteers, the NSCF can provide a secure online registration system. We will give your school a dedicated registration link and password to distribute to parents. Alternatively, we can work with schools that prefer to collect fees directly or can work with after school program manager organizations.

Registration for our open sessions can be completed directly on our website.

Registration for specific school programs is through each school; contact your PTA’s chess coordinator.

For specific inquiries regarding bringing a program to your school, or for camp logistics, you can reach our team at:

• Email: classes@nscfchess.org
• Phone: (914) 683-5322