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$25/mo
Chess Dojo
Structured adult improvement with a live community.
- StandalonePaid
Bacrot Academy (Alpha Échecs)
GM Étienne Bacrot's structured training program for serious improvers.
- Chess.comFree
BlitzStream — La Communauté de Julien Song
The biggest French-speaking online chess community, around IM Julien Song.
- 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.