Child safety in online chess classes

How live sessions are supervised

A ChessWize class is a scheduled appointment. Your child joins a video call at an agreed time with their assigned coach. The coach teaches on a shared digital board (typically via Lichess study or Chess.com classroom). Other children appear only in small-group formats capped at six students, all enrolled through ChessWize — not in a public matchmaking queue.

There is no open chat room, no unsolicited messages from other users, and no anonymous opponents. The session ends when the coach ends it. If something feels off during a class, you can end the call and contact us on the same day.

What you can verify before enrolling

• ✓

  Live video, not anonymous rooms

  Every class is a scheduled live video session with a named coach. There is no public lobby, no open chat with strangers, and no random matchmaking against unknown adults.

• ✓

  The same named coach each week

  Your child keeps one assigned coach through the programme. Coach names and FIDE profiles are listed publicly so you know who is teaching before you enrol.

• ✓

  Parent visibility built in

  You receive a weekly progress report on WhatsApp after session blocks. You may sit in on a session any time. For children under 8, we expect a parent or guardian to be present at home during class.

• ✓

  Official channels only

  Coaches and staff communicate with families through ChessWize's official WhatsApp and email — not personal social media or unmonitored messaging apps.

• ✓

  A clear way to raise concerns

  Any safeguarding concern can be reported to [email protected]. We treat these reports with priority.

Named coaches you can look up

ChessWize coaches are known, named, and vetted through their professional chess credentials — not through anonymous tutor pools. Our coaching team includes Hrdyansh Pandey, Tarun Gupta, Aryan Pal. Each coach's FIDE ID and background is listed on our coaches page. You can cross-check any FIDE ID on ratings.fide.com before your child's first session.

Every coach clears a multi-step hiring process, and background verification — police clearance plus a reference check — is completed before they teach a child. If you need specific documentation for your school's records, email [email protected] and we will tell you plainly what we can provide.

Parent visibility and reporting

Online does not have to mean invisible. After each session block, coaches send parents a weekly progress report on WhatsApp: what was taught, what improved, what needs work, and what to practise next. You do not need a separate parent login or dashboard to stay informed.

You are welcome to observe any session. For younger children, our terms of service note that a parent or guardian should be present at home during classes for children under 8. That is a practical supervision step, not a substitute for choosing a coach you trust.

See how parent reports work →

Data and privacy basics

ChessWize coaches children, but the contractual relationship is with you, the parent or guardian. You provide your child's name, age range, and chess level when you enrol. We use that information only to schedule sessions, teach your child, and report progress to you.

• ✓ We do not collect personal data directly from children.
• ✓ We do not sell personal data.
• ✓ We do not use children's information for advertising.
• ✓ You may request deletion at any time — see our Privacy Policy.

For families in the United States: the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) limits how services may collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. ChessWize collects enrollment details from parents, not directly from children. The US Federal Trade Commission publishes a plain-language guide at ftc.gov/business-guidance/privacy-security/childrens-privacy. If you have questions about how this applies to your family, email [email protected].

Coaching vs open chess platforms

Many parents first encounter chess through child-oriented apps or free playing sites. Those products serve a different purpose from live coaching, and their safety models differ.

• ChessKid (owned by Chess.com) is built for children under 13 with moderated design choices such as auto-generated usernames and no open chat — see ChessKid's age-range documentation.
• Lichess is an open platform. Parents can enable Kid Mode to restrict community features, but without it, children may encounter public chat and unmoderated usernames.
• ChessWize is neither a playing app nor a social network. It is scheduled live instruction with a known coach. Practice between sessions may use external boards, but the coached session itself is a closed video lesson.

For a longer parent-facing discussion, read Is online chess coaching safe for kids? and How online chess classes work.