Welcome to the CCL Chess School!

chess lessons, for players of all strengths and ages

THE CCL CHESS SCHOOL
Private Chess Lessons … with group activities
… for students of all ages and strengths

Alan Casden – CEO – (614) 561-2718
Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/cclchess

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Business Policies

Some of our Business Policies

  • Payment for Internet lessons
    • Payments for Internet lessons are due the 1st of each month for the lessons planned for that upcoming month.  Payments that are not received by the 15th of each month are charged an additional $5 per hour.  Payments that are not received by the 1st of the following month are charged an additional $10 per hour.  If you take more lessons than paid for in a month, there is no penalty and it can be added to the next monthly payment.
  • Payment for Missed Lessons
    • Lessons are to be paid for unless at least 48 hours notice is given.  This penalty is at the coaches discretion.  Coaches are encouraged to take extenuating circumstances into consideration.
  • Using Coaches Outside of CCL
    • When a student starts with CCL, they are on probation for the 1st two months.  During that time they are free to take lessons with coaches outside of CCL. Once the two months are over and they are accepted into CCL, they can only take chess lessons with a CCL chess coach.    We make an exception for normal coaching in the school environment that is provided to all chess students in that school. We feel that the CCL program offers a full support system, and the students’ results will only be weakened by outside coaches.  Violation of this rule will be result in expulsion from CCL  If you want to leave CCL and try outside coaching, you are welcome to do that.  You can return to CCL at a later date, starting as a brand new student. Exceptions to this policy can be requested from The CCL Chess School’s head coach, IM Atanas Kizov.  The exception to this rule is with CCL graduates who are allowed to take lessons outside of CCL.
  • Leave of Absence from CCL
    • If a student has been in CCL for more than a year and they want to stop taking lessons, they can request to be put on semi-active status for 6 months.  Please send this request to acasden@insight.rr.com . They do not have to take lessons but can still use all other CCL services (4545 league, receive emails, use chess library, tournament/phone/email support, CCL activities, etc.)  Once the 6 months are over, the student will need to either leave CCL or return to active status.  Players who leave CCL on good terms, are welcome to join again in the future.
  • Lesson Requirement
    • One lesson per week is optimal for best results, for most students.  However, the absolute minimum of 1 lesson per month is needed to remain on active status.
  • Cheating
    • Our policy on violating rules related to cheating is clear.  For a 1st offense, you will be suspended from CCL  for 6 months.  For a second offense you will be permanently removed from CCL. Examples of cheating include but are not limited to:  being removed from a tournament (either the 4545 league or an over-the-board tournament) for suspected unauthorized use of any external aids (book, computer engine, smartphone, another person, etc.).   It is important to take the rules seriously and to win or lose in a good sports person manner.  If CCL must take action, it will be handled in a confidential manner.  Coach availability is not guaranteed.
  • CCL Graduates
    • If you are a CCL graduate, the lesson requirement is dropped.  A CCL graduate is an honorary degree that we give to any CCL player who has worked their way through the ranks while in CCL and has made a USCF experts rating (>= 2000).   It entitles them to lifetime membership in CCL (with good behavior and adherence to our other guidelines), without the requirements of taking lessons.  They are allowed to receive email from me for the rest of their lives!!  Although graduates are not required to continue taking lessons, most do.
  • Library
    • All library books may be taken out for a 90 day loan.  Up to two books can be borrowed at any time. There are no renewals. Once a book has been returned for a month, you are welcome to check it out again.  The overdue fee is $2 per book per month.  Lost books are charged at the current replacement cost from Amazon.  To help our students that live outside of Central Ohio, I am willing to mail chess books to them at my expense.  However, you will need to mail the books back to me at your expense.  You are responsible for keeping track of the due date.  Upon request, I will put a post-it note in the book with the due date.  You can also see the books that are checked out and their due date by going to the library web site http://www.librarything.com/catalog/alancas and clicking on the lending title a couple of times.
  • Random Stuff
    • A student can, and many do, work with multiple coaches at the same time?
    • In the 4545 league,  you can play on more than one CCL team as long as they are in different sections.
    • Anyone in the world who wants to run a CCL sponsored chess club, CCL will provide a free Meetup.com website for them and provide them with free business cards.  The only restriction is that they call the chess club “Mulligan <your city> Chess Club.
    • We provide discounts for ICC memberships for both new and renewal memberships.

The Coaches

  • alancasden2
    National Master Alan Casden
    -- CEO --
  • International Master Atanas Kizov -- CCL Head Coach --
  • GM VLATKO BOGDANOVSKI
    Grand Master Vlatko Bogdanovski
  • Zoran
    International Master Zoran Arsovic
  • FM_Sasa_Jevtic
    FIDE Master Sasa Jevtic
  • NM Vladimir Kizov
    National Master Vladimir Kizov
    Head of Pre-CCL
  • Jelena
    Woman FIDE Master Jelena Arsovic

The Best in Chess Instruction

How can we say that?
- read our blogs, our results speak for themselves

Why are we so successful?
- we use the top chess coaches from around the world
- we develop a chess community
- we use a team approach with experts in both chess and psychology
- over 1900 free chess book library
- we always put the student first

Who are our customers?
- we started in Ohio but now reach out to all of North America, currently with students in 20 states and 8 countries
- we address the needs of students of all ages and strengths (a CCL and Pre-CCL program)

Let us help you to live up to your potential.

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Recent Posts

  • Jason Wang wins the North American Open January 3, 2023
  • 2022 National Grade Level Championships December 31, 2022
  • For real? December 6, 2022
  • 2022 Ohio Grade Level Championships November 15, 2022
  • Michael Lin becomes the 33rd CCL Graduate September 14, 2022
  • Sneha becomes a TD while she, Jack, and Joshua each win a quad. August 14, 2022
  • Rohan Padhye wins Joe Yun Memorial and becomes a Chess Master July 20, 2022
  • CCL at the National Elementary School Championship May 20, 2022
  • Jason Wang wins Ohio HS Championship while Rohan Padhye takes MS Championship May 9, 2022
  • Where are they now? February 4, 2022
  • CCL wins Ohio Grade Levels in grades 6, 8, 9, 10 November 8, 2021
  • Three New CCL Graduates September 11, 2021
  • CCL Chess Camp 9/11-12/2021 July 4, 2021
  • CCL takes top 4 spots in the Ohio High School Championship April 24, 2021
  • CCL Youth wins Ohio Championships April 3, 2021
  • The sleeping giant awakens April 3, 2021
  • Dae San Kim with the 2020 CCL Chess Championship August 22, 2020
  • 2020 CCL Chess Championship August 12, 2020
  • US vs Canada Online Youth Chess Match August 4, 2020
  • CCL USCF rated online chess tournaments June 9, 2020
  • 2020 Queen City Classic March 3, 2020
  • Some Holiday Results December 28, 2019
  • CCL wins most of the grades at the 2019 Ohio Grade Level Championships November 11, 2019
  • CCL tops the charts October 15, 2019
  • CCL Chess Camp 11/2-3/2019 September 16, 2019
  • Elton Cao is the State of Ohio Chess Champion September 3, 2019
  • Jason Wang is the Barber Co-champion August 9, 2019
  • 2019 Columbus Chess League August 8, 2019
  • Chris Shen breaks 2400, setting CCL history July 20, 2019
  • CCL old picture test July 16, 2019

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