Online chess academies and training clubs
Apps teach you to drill. Clubs and academies teach you to improve with a plan - structured curriculum, live coaching, accountability. Below, the online training communities worth paying for (and the free platform clubs worth joining on top of them).
Featured academies
- DiscordPaid$15/mo
Chess Dojo
Structured adult improvement with a live community.
- StandalonePaid$33/mo
Bacrot Academy (Alpha Échecs)
GM Étienne Bacrot's structured training program for serious improvers.
- Chess.comFree
La Communauté de Julien Song
IM Julien Song's French-speaking community on Chess.com, Lichess and YouTube.
- StandalonePaid$99/mo
ChessMood
GM-built course library with a live weekly cadence and a member forum.
Free platform clubs worth joining
Academies and clubs aren't apps - they're people-driven, not software. ChessDir reviews them separately to keep the apps directory focused on software. For improvement plans that pair an app with a training club, start with the guides.