Memberships

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Caveman Chess Center memberships provide free or discounted registrations for

  • Chess tournaments

  • Chess classes

  • Chess seminars

  • Chess camps

New instructional members receive their choice of a tournament set and vinyl tournament board of their choice of available color or an unboxed FIDE-approved chess clock.

Our membership model is similar to what you may experience with martial arts dojos. Please review all membership information.

The amounts shown are monthly, per person except as noted, and prorated by the number of days in the first month.

Summary level descriptions are below.

  • Beginner - ranges from starting chess with no knowledge through all items needed to play their first tournament game: Piece names, moves, captures, and values, how to set up the board and why it works that way, special moves, check and checkmate, the center, all basic mates, keeping score (writing notation), basic openings, basic endings (K+P), basic tactics.

  • Novice - is introduced to, and can recognize the five forms of basic tactics, can solve tactics puzzles eventually three moves deep, can mate with a Bishop and Knight (and King) against a loan King, is exposed to more significant information on chess openings and can memorize four key classical games from chess history.

  • Intermediate - K+multiple P endings, Basic Middlegame concepts, Basic R+P endings, Intermediate Tactics- including How do they arise? and practice on finding and executing them, World Champions, 3, Important Standard attacks, including Sacrifices at f2/f7, Classic Bishop Sacrifice (Greek Gift), & the Triple Link. Understanding King Hunts, Basic Positional Ideas and Defensive Ideas, Positional Packet, and practicing those. The Fundamental Theorem of Attack, Memorizing several Essential Games, Learning How to Analyze, Additional Openings, and a more Robust Understanding of the Center

  • Proficient - Further & advanced work on the topics in Intermediate, additional endgame knowledge with various pieces in greater depth, in-depth study of typical positions arising from standard openings. Revision, selection and study of standard opening choices.

  • Advanced - In-depth and additionally

Instructional Level Memberships

CAVEMAN TOTS

Ages up to 6. Instruction before age 4 is very rare

Includes Instruction & Competition once Novice level reached

$119

🗸 Access to Classes

🗸 No contracts

🗸 Individualized Instruction within competitions and a class setting

🗸 Access to proprietary Caveman training methods used to develop state & national championships (In Park Ridge)

🗸 Classical Training

🗸 30 - 45 minute classes (depending on daily attention spans)

🗸 Access to member specials

🗸 Discounts on events

🗸 Access to Caveman Chess Center open play periods

ADVANCED

Ages 6+, classes by strength and also age whenever possible. Classes focus on advanced concepts for multiple students

Includes Instruction and Competition

$249

🗸 Everything in Proficient, plus…

🗸 Larger discounts on higher-level and GM classes

FOCUSED GROUP

Provides access to age-specific, gender-specific or otherwise undersized groups

Includes Instruction and Competition

+$50

🗸 Allows an undersized group to proceed

🗸 Classes are typically six students or greater, a Focused Group can be three or more

🗸 The Focused Group allows a smaller group - EX: all Seniors, all women, a specific school, etc., when students pay $50 extra to ensure the minimum class size. This is an additional monthly charge to have a select group.

BEGINNER, NOVICE, & INTERMEDIATE

For ages 6 and higher, classes by strength & age whenever possible

Includes Instruction & Competition once Novice level reached

$149

🗸 Access to Classes

🗸 No contracts

🗸 Individualized Instruction within competitions and a class setting

🗸 Access to proprietary Caveman training methods used to develop state & national championships (In Park Ridge schools)

🗸 Classical Training

🗸 55-minute classes

🗸 Access to member specials

🗸 Discounts on events

🗸 Access to Caveman Chess Center open play periods

PROFICIENT

Ages 6+, classes by strength & age whenever possible. Focus is on mastering & adding robustness & complexity to previously learned skills and concepts, for multiple students

Includes Instruction and Competition

$199

🗸 Access to Classes

🗸 Up to two courses simultaneously

🗸 No contracts

🗸 Individualized Instruction in competitions & class settings

🗸 Classical Training

🗸 55-minute classes

🗸 Access to member specials

🗸 Discounts on events

🗸 Access to Caveman Chess Center open play periods

Competition Memberships

COMPETITIONS & EVENTS

Ages 14 and up

Includes Competition and Events

$75

🗸 No contracts and Discounts on tournaments

🗸 Access to member specials

🗸 Access to Caveman Chess Center open play periods

COMPETITIONS ONLY

Ages 14 and up

Includes Competition

$50

🗸 No contracts

🗸 Discounts on tournaments

🗸 Access to Caveman Chess Center open play periods

Special Discounts

FAMILY DISCOUNT

Discount per subsequent person the first and highest-priced registration, must include at least one adult

Includes Instruction and Competition

SIBLING DISCOUNT

Discount Per Sibling after the first and highest-priced registration

Includes Instruction and Competition

TEAM DISCOUNT

Below age 19

Includes Competition and Events

25% off

🗸 Any team of four or more players from a single school

🗸 First (highest priced) player at full price

🗸 Access to member specials

🗸 Access to Caveman Chess Center open play periods

25% off

🗸 Highest price child is the first sibling

🗸 All remaining siblings are 25% off

25% off

🗸 No contracts

🗸 Discounts on tournaments

🗸 Access to Caveman Chess Center open play periods

🗸 Must include at least one parent at a full