Chess academies and classes in the Seoul area 41

Learning chess in the capital area usually means a hagwon, a private academy with weekly classes, most of them for primary-school children. ICHESS is the largest chain: its main branch is in Yongsan, its notices of 2026 show classes in Banpo, Hongdae and Suwon, and branches opened in Bucheon and Gimpo in July 2026, while several older branches appear only on its branch map. The Chess EPA recruits pupils in Banpo and Mokdong and has centres in Bucheon and Songdo.

Other academies have a profile of their own. WizChess in Songdo hosts district federation tournaments, Chess Run in Cheongna teaches children from the age of five in groups of four, AZT Chess in Dongtan has an adult class and a competition class, and Pawn to Queen in Seokchon groups its classes by rating and teaches by Zoom as well. Several centres of a mind-sports network, and two public programmes in Gangbuk-gu and Siheung, are known from a single listing and stay unconfirmed.