Chess South Africa — National Coaching SystemBuilding South Africa's National Chess Coaching and Player Development System
Access accredited coach pathways, player certificates, verified coaches, workshops and professional resources through the Chess South Africa national coaching platform.
509
Registered Coaches
177
Active Certifications
Choose Your Pathway
Six clear entry points into South Africa's national chess development system.
Coaches
Start, continue or renew your national coaching certification.
Players
Develop from Pawn to Super King and track every achieved level.
Parents
Understand coaching, ratings, tournaments and your child's development.
Schools
Build a structured, safe and sustainable school chess programme.
Find a Coach
Search verified coaches by province, qualification and specialisation.
Administrators
Manage workshops, facilitators, certification and provincial development.
National Coach Certification Pathway
Five nationally recognised levels, from School Chess Supervisor to Level 3 Instructor. Certification is awarded through the Training the Trainers (TTT) programme and assessed on Promotion Academy.
School Chess Supervisor
School
A standalone qualification for teachers and school administrators who want to deliver chess in-house — without needing to coach players individually or attend the TTT seminar.
Entry-Level Instructor
Entry
The first level of national coach certification. Awarded based on your assessment score in the Training the Trainers (TTT) programme.
Level 1 Instructor
Intermediate
The second level of national coach certification. Awarded when your TTT assessment score meets the Level 1 threshold.
Level 2 Instructor
Advanced
The third level of national coach certification. Awarded when your TTT assessment score meets the Level 2 threshold.
Level 3 Instructor
Elite
The highest level of national coach certification. Awarded when your TTT assessment score meets the Level 3 threshold.
School Chess Supervisor
A standalone qualification for teachers and school administrators who want to deliver chess in-house — without needing to coach players individually or attend the TTT seminar.
Entry-Level Instructor
The first level of national coach certification. Awarded based on your assessment score in the Training the Trainers (TTT) programme.
Level 1 Instructor
The second level of national coach certification. Awarded when your TTT assessment score meets the Level 1 threshold.
Level 2 Instructor
The third level of national coach certification. Awarded when your TTT assessment score meets the Level 2 threshold.
Level 3 Instructor
The highest level of national coach certification. Awarded when your TTT assessment score meets the Level 3 threshold.
Player Pathway — Pawn to Super King
Seven player certificate levels, each with a dedicated assessment on Promotion Academy. Complete each stage, record your progress and earn certificates.
Pawn
Foundation
Knight
Foundation
Bishop
Foundation
Rook
Foundation
Queen
Advanced
King
Advanced
Super King
Master
Pawn
Foundation
Knight
Foundation
Bishop
Foundation
Rook
Foundation
Queen
Advanced
King
Advanced
Super King
Master
Players may use this pathway independently, with a parent, school supervisor or coach. Complete each stage, record your progress and earn certificates that can be reflected on your Chess South Africa profile where system integration permits.
National Coach Directory
Search verified chess coaches by province, certification level and specialisation.
Pumeza Makhasi
Entry Level
Western Cape
Monique De Villiers
Level 1
Western Cape
Marufah Moosa
Level 1
Western Cape
Thomas Struis
Entry Level
Western Cape
Upcoming Workshops
No workshops are currently scheduled. Check back soon or browse our courses on Promotion Academy.
View Workshop ArchiveProfessional Development
Specialist courses for coaches, teachers and facilitators. Delivered through Promotion Academy.
Training The Trainers
The national gateway to chess coach certification. A 3-day in-person seminar with independent assessment via Promotion Academy. Your assessment score determines your certification level.
Audience: Aspiring and experienced chess coaches
Provider: Promotion Academy
Price: R1650
Teaching Chess Online
Learn digital chess coaching — online platforms, Chessable, Lichess, PGNs, and remote coaching at scale.
Audience: Coaches who want to teach chess online
Provider: Promotion Academy
Chess Parent's Survival Guide
Everything parents need to support their child's chess journey in South Africa.
Audience: Parents of chess-playing children
Provider: Promotion Academy
Price: R300
National Footprint
Verified coaching coverage across all nine provinces of South Africa.
Eastern Cape
6
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
Free State
8
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
Gauteng
13
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
KwaZulu-Natal
40
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
Limpopo
9
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
Mpumalanga
3
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
Northern Cape
15
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
North West
14
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
Western Cape
69
Active Coaches
0
Facilitators
Participant Achievements
Success Stories
Leaning barriers
How to leaning barriers
Kwanele
Coach: Kwanele Msomi
Latest News
Cape Town Chess Tournament. Who Is Sponsoring the Continental Stage of the Competition?
In July, Cape Town will host the African continental stage of the World Schools Team Chess Championship, with Freedom Holding Corp. and its founder, Timur Turlov, acting among the event's partners.
Daily Bulletin — Day 2
This bulletin for the South African chess delegation provides essential pre-round and in-game routines — including tactical warm-ups and a three-step blunder-check — to help players perform at their best throughout the 17th African Youth Chess Championships.
A Note From Your Head Coach — 2026 African Youth Chess Championships
Head Coach Reuben Salimu outlines how he will work during the 2026 African Youth Chess Championships, covering daily briefings, drop-in analysis sessions, Lichess game sharing, and parent communication.
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events scheduled.
Choose your next move in South African chess development.
Whether you are starting out, advancing your certification, or building a school programme — your pathway begins here.