Being the only girl in the school chess club is not easy.  Hearing boys and men make thoughtless remarks about expecting an easy win because they are playing a girl is disheartening.  We hear these comments all the time, and sadly, a lot of girls drop out of chess as a result.  Girls can be –and are– serious competitors, but they also just enjoy each other’s company, especially when they are such a minority in the sport!  HRCA is committed to increasing the number of women and girls in our chess programs, and to making chess a better experience for them.

What is the Girls Rock Chess Club?    Girls Club is one of HRCA’s Core Chess Programs. HRCA’s Coach Nina will deliver a mini-lesson each week and then girls will have time to just play chess together, make friends, and have fun.  We meet in a public venue weekly, so that other girls can see how awesome chess is. Because of HRCA’s youth protection protocols and the nature of the public venue, parents are required to stay in the playing area during club (or designate another adult to supervise).

In the event a substitute is needed, HRCA will handpick another qualified coach who is skilled and passionate about girls chess programming to sub. If no subs are available, class may be canceled for that week.

We will be working on bringing in occasional guest speakers and coordinating empowerment activities outside of club.  Girls are strongly encouraged to also participate in other HRCA programs such as Hampton Roads Scholastic Chess Club, school chess programs, our monthly tournaments, and annual Chess Girls Rock weekend event. Some tournaments will also have designated girls trophies!

Past social events include a winter fun social, chess movie night with guest speaker WGM Jennifer Shahade, KidStrong & Smoothies event, Ninja Gym outing, and chess paint night!

Girls Club is ideal for ages 6-13. Chess Knowledge is required to participate. This club is not instructional, but we do have a chess coach onsite for mentorship, a mini-lesson, and training tips!

This club meets at Virginia Beach Town Center WEGMANS (in the Food Court / Burger Bar entrance) – 4721 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23462.
Club meets on Thursdays from 6-7PM, September-May. Due to the very public nature of this club, a parent or guardian must remain onsite in close proximity for duration of club meeting.

Rates for 2025-2026 are not determined yet. Girls will pay a non-refundable annual registration fee, which includes HRCA membership and ChessKid Gold (a $70 value!), plus a monthly tuition fee. Annual Registration fee is due at time of registration, and is charged only once per academic year across all HRCA programs.   Monthly tuition will be charged via autopay on the 1st of each month Sep-May per our billing policy.  Social events and Girls Rock Weekend have separate fees. Thanks to a very generous grant from US Chess and the St. Louis Chess Club and Wegmans VB for the use of space, we are able to keep fees low!

HRCA requires autopay for tuition and registration fees.  A non-refundable Annual Registration Fee will be charged to the account on file within 72 hours of sign enrollment, unless already paid via the Parent/Student Portal. Monthly tuition will be posted to your Parent/Student Portal approximately one week before payment is due.   To avoid autopay, you may log into your Parent/Student Portal and make your own payment early.  Otherwise, HRCA will process payments on the 1st of each month.  Scholarship families will only be charged for their Annual Registration Fee and co-pay amount.    Please refer to HRCA’s Billing and Payment Policy for more info, including refund processes.

We have limited financial assistance available, including payment plans and needs-based partial scholarships reserved for students with true financial need.   If this applies to you, or you just need a monthly payment plan for tuition, please complete our Financial Assistance Application HERE.   Your account will not be charged for your class until your scholarship application is processed and a co-pay (if any) is determined.

           

*As an Affiliate of US Chess, Hampton Roads Chess Association follows the US Chess Transgender Policy.