Chess academy software features, from batches to fees and game review

1. Admissions and CRM

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   • A/B testing for campaignsTest two versions of a campaign on a slice of the list, then send the winner to everyone else automatically.
   • Email campaignsSend email campaigns to lead and family lists from the academy's own sender, with open and click tracking.
   • SMS campaignsSend SMS campaigns to leads and families, including DLT-registered templates for academies sending in India.
   • WhatsApp broadcast campaignsSend WhatsApp broadcasts to leads and families from the academy's own number using approved message templates.
   • Enquiry and lead capture formsBuild enquiry forms with a drag and drop builder, share or embed them, and every submission lands in your leads.
   • Lead scoringEvery lead gets an AI triage score and a points score from rules the academy sets, so staff call the warmest first.
   • Online admission and registrationFamilies enrol online through a public registration form that collects guardian and child details, records consent and holds the seat.
   • Lead pipeline and stagesTrack every lead from first contact through trial booked, trial attended and converted, with counts at each stage.
   • Academy website and profile pageEach academy gets a public page with its programs, camps, coach directory and booking links for new families.
   • Referral programGive each family a referral code, credit referred leads to them, and grant the reward automatically when a lead enrols.
   • Demo and trial class bookingParents book a demo or trial class from a public link that shows only open slots and holds the seat.
   • Waitlists for full classesFamilies join a waitlist when a class is full and are offered the next free seat automatically, with offers that expire.
   • AI ad copy writerAI drafts ready to paste ad campaigns for Meta and Google Ads, with headlines and audiences built from the academy's programs.
   • Drip sequences for leadsEnrol leads into timed follow-up sequences of emails, WhatsApp messages, SMS and staff tasks that run on schedule.
   • Meta lead ads syncLeads from Facebook and Instagram lead ads flow straight into the pipeline, filtered by campaign, with no manual export.
   • Partner school programsRun programs inside partner schools with campuses, contacts and rosters, billed to the school, to parents or split with a subsidy.

2. Scheduling and attendance

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   • Attendance trackingMark a whole batch present, late, absent or excused in a few taps, with a history parents can see.
   • Batches and class groupsCreate batches with a coach, program, centre and capacity, and get warned before a batch clashes with a coach's timetable.
   • Google Calendar syncClasses and bookings sync to Google Calendar for coaches and families, and every booking also downloads as a calendar file.
   • Coach availabilityRecord when each coach can teach, as one-off or weekly blocks, so scheduling and substitute checks respect it.
   • Holiday calendar and closuresMark academy holidays and closures so classes skip those dates and closure weeks never count against a student's record.
   • Online, offline and hybrid classesRun each class in person, online or hybrid, with the join link or built-in classroom set per session.
   • Make-up classes and creditsOwe a make-up credit for a missed class, offer open make-up slots, and let families spend the credit to book one.
   • Multiple branches and locationsRun several branches, each with its own address, timezone, rooms and staff, and see totals across all of them.
   • Recurring class timetableSet a weekly or custom repeat rule once and the timetable fills with sessions, skipping slots that would clash.
   • Room bookingBook rooms inside each physical centre so two classes never land in the same room at the same time.
   • QR code self check-inPrint a class QR code and students check themselves in at a kiosk, with attendance recorded on the spot.
   • Substitute coach coverAssign a substitute to cover a session; they accept or decline and receive the class notes and lesson plan.
   • Day, week and month viewsSee the academy timetable by day, week or month, filtered by coach, centre, batch or room.
   • Camps and intensivesRun camps with a day by day session plan, public enrolment and completion certificates for every camper.
   • Reschedule or cancel single classesMove or cancel one session without changing the series, with clash checks and notice to the families affected.
   • Self-booking for private lessonsFamilies pick a free slot in a coach's calendar and book a private lesson themselves, with no back and forth.
   • Student recordsKeep each student's contact details, family links, lesson history, notes and documents in one profile.
   • Timezones for online classesOnline classes show in each family's and coach's own timezone, so cross-border batches never miss a start time.
   • Outside meeting linksAttach an outside meeting link to any class when a coach prefers another video tool for that session.

3. Fees and billing

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   • Recurring fees and autopayFamilies set up UPI AutoPay, eNACH or a saved card once, and recurring fees are debited on schedule.Grow plan and up
   • Sibling discounts, coupons and scholarshipsApply sibling and group discounts, coupon codes, scholarships and referral credits to invoices automatically.
   • Expense trackingRecord academy expenses such as rent, coach costs and equipment by category, and see them against fees collected.
   • Razorpay, Stripe and Cashfree paymentsConnect Razorpay, Stripe or Cashfree as the payment gateway, so fees land in the academy's own account.Grow plan and up
   • Invoices and receiptsIssue numbered invoices with a PDF copy, send them to families, and keep a receipt for every payment.
   • Family ledger and partial paymentsSee what each family owes, accept partial payments and deposits, and track the remaining balance per family.
   • Multi-currency billingBill families in their own currency, including INR, USD, EUR, GBP, AED and SGD, on prices and invoices.
   • UPI, card and net banking paymentsFamilies pay fees online by UPI, card or net banking through a payment link, and the invoice is marked paid.Grow plan and up
   • Class packs and pay per classSell class packs and prepaid credits that are used up as students attend, or charge for each class.
   • Fee refundsRefund all or part of a payment back to the family's card or UPI, with the refund recorded on the ledger.
   • Automatic fee remindersOverdue fees trigger reminders by email and WhatsApp with a pay link, plus a nudge before each renewal falls due.Grow plan and up
   • GST and VAT invoicesIssue GST, VAT or sales tax invoices with tax lines and both parties' tax IDs on the document.
   • Sell courses and paid webinarsSell recorded courses and paid webinars to students and outside learners, with payment collected at checkout.
   • Lesson credit reversalsRestore a cancelled lesson and its charge goes back to the student's balance, with the change on the ledger.
   • Prepaid and earned funds apartPrepaid student balances are tracked apart from fees already earned, so the academy sees what is owed in lessons.
   • Gift cardsSell gift cards families can give for lessons, camps or class packs, redeemed as credit at checkout.
   • Invoice cancellationVoid a wrong invoice without cancelling the family's subscription, keeping the cancelled copy on record.
   • Automatic late feesAdd a late fee automatically when an invoice passes its due date, using the amount or percentage the academy sets.
   • Event entries and licence salesPlayers register for events and buy federation or club licences online, with the payment recorded on their profile.
   • No-show and cancellation feesCharge a fee or use a credit when a student misses a booked session without notice, following the academy's policy.
   • One-time feesCharge one-off fees such as admission, kit, exam or event fees, each under its own category.
   • Overdue account access controlPause portal access for accounts with overdue fees after a grace period, and restore it automatically once they pay.
   • Pause or cancel subscriptionsPause a family's subscription billing for a break or cancel it, without losing the student's history.

4. Staff

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   • Second approver for sensitive actionsHigh-stakes actions such as refunds wait for a second authorised person, and nobody can approve their own request.
   • Coach performance and ratingsSee each coach's teaching quality scores, parent feedback, utilisation and compliance over any period.
   • Coach profilesKeep each coach's photo, bio, tags, login and schedule, with an optional listing in the public coach directory.
   • Coach payroll calculationWork out coach pay from sessions taught, substitute cover and commission on fees received, as one payroll run.
   • Coach payoutsPay coaches straight from an approved payroll run, or split a family's payment between the academy and the coach.
   • Roles and permissionsUse built-in staff roles or create custom ones that grant only chosen permissions, never more than the creator holds.
   • Affiliated clubsManage affiliated clubs under one organisation while each club keeps its own name and branding.
   • Coach payout ledgerSee every payout made to a coach, any corrections and the balance still owed, in one running ledger.

5. Parents and communication

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   • Class and academy announcementsPost announcements to one class or the whole academy; parents see them in the portal and by email.
   • Scheduled monthly reportsSchedule monthly progress digests that are built from the academy's records and emailed to parents automatically.
   • In-app chat with parentsParents chat with the academy from the portal while signed in, and staff reply from one shared inbox.
   • Email to parentsEmail parents reports, reminders and announcements from the academy's own sender address.
   • Parent feedback and surveysParents rate each class, leave comments and answer surveys, and can submit testimonials that staff choose to publish.
   • Parent mobile appParents install the app on their phone to see classes, attendance, fees, reports and messages for every child.
   • Parent portalParents sign in to see each child's schedule, attendance, games, invoices and progress, and request make-up classes.
   • Student progress reportsCreate a monthly report per student covering attendance, chess activity and coach notes, previewed and emailed to guardians.
   • Push notificationsParents and students get push notifications for class changes, homework and messages on phone and desktop.
   • SMS to parentsSend SMS reminders and updates to parents from the academy, for families who prefer text messages.
   • WhatsApp messages to parentsSend class reminders, fee links and updates to parents on WhatsApp from the academy's own business number.
   • In-app notificationsParents, students and staff see schedule changes and new messages as notifications inside the app.
   • Message template libraryStart from ready-made templates for reminders, login details, fee notices and account updates, and edit them to fit.
   • Shared support inboxStaff answer parent conversations from one shared inbox with assignment, snooze and WhatsApp threads.

6. Teaching

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   • Puzzles from students' own mistakesTurn each student's game mistakes into personal puzzles, and add catalogue puzzles matched to their weak themes and rating.
   • Ready-made course contentInstall ready-made starter puzzle packs, graded lesson plans, quiz banks and a foundations curriculum on day one.
   • Curriculum and syllabus builderBuild a curriculum of levels and skills that programs follow, and track how far each batch has covered it.
   • Endgame trainingTeach endgames with ready-made lessons, checkmate drills and quizzes, from basic mates to rook endings.
   • Guess the move trainingStudents predict each move of a master game and get a score and feedback, with hints that cost points.
   • Homework and assignmentsAssign puzzles, game reviews, opening drills, games against the computer and lessons, then grade what students submit.
   • Lesson plans per sessionSet the lesson for each session from the syllabus, a study or a note, or accept the suggested next step.
   • Opening repertoire trainerStudents drill the academy's opening lines move by move, with instant feedback and repeats on the moves they miss.
   • Puzzle libraryBrowse 6,095,563 rated puzzles from the open Lichess database by rating and theme, and copy any set into homework.
   • Chess quizzesSchedule timed quizzes for a batch with attempt limits, leaderboards and team, streak and survival modes.
   • Spaced repetition reviewPositions a student got wrong come back on a spaced schedule until the student solves them reliably.
   • Interactive studies and PGN chaptersBuild lessons as interactive chapters of positions, puzzles, questions, explanations, videos and play against the computer.
   • Video lessons and coursesAdd lesson videos, uploaded or from YouTube and Vimeo, with checkpoint questions that pause the video.
   • Adaptive lessonsLessons adapt to each learner, adding similar tasks after a miss and skipping ahead after a first-try success.
   • Blindfold tactics trainingStudents visualise a move sequence without seeing it played on the board, then solve the resulting position.
   • Coach training and webinarsCoaches get training videos, growth webinars, recordings and guides on teaching chess and running an academy.
   • Drip course contentRelease course lessons gradually on a schedule, so students unlock each part as they progress.
   • Recurring error detectionSpot the mistakes a student keeps repeating across games, such as hanging pieces or missed forks, and target them.
   • Send positions as live puzzlesDuring a class the coach sends the position on the board to every student as a puzzle to solve.
   • Position memory trainingTimed exercises where students memorise a position and rebuild it, with mistakes and hints tracked live.
   • Move replay practiceStudents replay the moves of a game from memory, alongside the memory and tactics activities.
   • Opening explorer databaseLook up opening moves and how often each is played, inside lessons and the live classroom.
   • Opening treeSee a student's openings as a move tree built from their own games, with results for each line.
   • Custom puzzle editorCreate custom puzzles by setting up any position on the board and recording the winning line.
   • Puzzle set generatorGenerate a homework puzzle set by theme and difficulty in one step, ready to assign to a batch.
   • Puzzles by ratingPick assignment puzzles by rating range so every student gets problems that fit their level.
   • Woodpecker method trainingStudents repeat a fixed puzzle set in faster cycles, the Woodpecker method, with custom sets and as many cycles as needed.

7. Student engagement

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   • Skill certificatesIssue certificates when a student reaches a level, each with a public link anyone can use to verify it.
   • Play against classmatesStudents challenge classmates in their academy to real games, played inside the student portal.
   • Points, streaks, badges and leaderboardsStudents earn points, badges and daily streaks, level up through the curriculum and climb the weekly academy leaderboard.
   • Chess mini-gamesStudents practise with chess mini-games that drill piece moves, captures, checkmates and board vision in short rounds.
   • Play against the computerStudents play human-like computer opponents, and coaches can set Stockfish at strength levels 1 to 20.
   • Placement and rating testNew students take a short rating test that estimates their level, so they join the right batch.
   • Student appStudents get their own app for homework, puzzles, games, courses and progress, under the academy's name.
   • Live tournament broadcastsStudents follow live chess events move by move inside the student portal.
   • Live polls and class quizzesRun polls, quick quizzes, word clouds and leaderboards during a live class to keep every student involved.
   • Position playgroundStudents set up any position and play it out freely to explore ideas from a lesson.
   • Proctored online assessmentsRun timed assessments with the webcam on, so exam results for online students can be trusted.

8. Live classes

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   • AI class recapsAfter a recorded class, AI drafts a recap that the coach edits and publishes for students and parents.
   • Attendance from live classesStudents who join the live class are marked present automatically, and the coach confirms the register.
   • Class recording and playbackRecord live classes with consent and let staff, parents and students watch them again later.
   • Screen sharingCoaches share their screen in the built-in live classroom to show slides, a video or an analysis board.
   • Shared board the coach drivesThe coach moves pieces on one shared board and every student's screen updates live during class.
   • Built-in video and audioLive classes have built-in video and audio for coach and students, with no outside meeting app needed.
   • Classroom whiteboardDraw arrows, highlight squares and sketch ideas on a whiteboard over the board during a live class.
   • Legal and free teaching modesSwitch the class board between legal moves only and free setup, to demonstrate any position.
   • Class controls for coachesThe coach can lock student boards, mute microphones and turn off cameras during a live class.
   • Live game monitoringCoaches watch students' games as they are played and add notes on the moves in real time.
   • Class waiting roomStudents wait in a lobby before class starts, and the coach admits them into the right session.

   See live classes in depth

9. Games and ratings

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   • AI move and game explanationsAI explains Stockfish's verdict on a move or game in plain language, and the coach approves it before parents see it.
   • Chess.com game syncLink a student's Chess.com account and their games arrive in the academy automatically for review.Pro plan and up
   • Stockfish game analysisEvery recorded game is analysed by Stockfish, flagging blunders, mistakes and inaccuracies and giving an accuracy score.
   • FIDE and national rating trackingRecord each student's FIDE, USCF or national rating and track it over time beside internal ratings.
   • PGN game importImport games by uploading a PGN file or pasting a Lichess or Chess.com game link.
   • Lichess game syncLink a student's Lichess account and their games arrive in the academy automatically for review.Pro plan and up
   • Rating progress graphsShow each student's rating over time as a graph for every rating system they play in.
   • Internal academy ratingsKeep an academy rating for every student from club games and events, separate from official ratings.
   • FIDE ID linkingLink each player's record to their FIDE ID so profiles, entries and reports match the federation record.
   • Games flagged for reviewGames with big swings or repeated errors are flagged so coaches review the ones that matter first.
   • Master game databaseSearch a large database of historical master games for lessons, opening study and preparation.
   • Shareable game reportsTurn an engine review into a shareable report written for children and their parents.
   • Opponent preparation reportsPrepare a student for an opponent with a report on that player's openings, habits and recent results.

10. Tournaments

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    • Arena tournamentsRun arena tournaments where players are paired again the moment they finish, scored on a live leaderboard.
    • Embeddable standings widgetPut a tournament's live standings, pairings or player cards on the academy's own website with an embed link.
    • FIDE and federation rating reportsExport finished tournaments in FIDE TRF format or as federation CSV files for rating submission.
    • Knockout tournamentsRun knockout events with an automatic bracket that advances each winner to the next round.
    • Elo and Glicko rating calculationTournament results update an academy Elo or Glicko rating pool, previewed before the new ratings publish.
    • Online tournament registrationPlayers register for a published tournament online, and staff can add entries by hand.
    • Round robin tournamentsRun all-play-all round robin events with the full pairing schedule generated automatically.
    • Live public standingsPublic standings update live as results come in, including provisional results from games still in play.
    • Swiss tournamentsRun Swiss tournaments with automatic round pairings from a real Swiss pairing engine.
    • Team tournamentsRun team events with team pairings, board order and match scores for each round.
    • Tournament certificatesPrint certificates for every player with rank, score, academy logo and a QR code that verifies them online.
    • Arbiter toolsArbiters enter results, set byes, withdraw players and correct pairings from one event control screen.
    • Tournament archivesEvery past event stays in a public archive with its final standings, pairings and results.
    • Simultaneous exhibitionsA coach plays many students at once, each on their own board, while parents follow from the portal.
    • Tiebreak calculationTiebreaks such as Buchholz, Sonneborn-Berger and head-to-head are calculated automatically and shown in the standings.

    See tournaments in depth

11. AI

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    • AI-drafted messages and reportsAI turns a coach's shorthand into a clear parent message or report draft that a person reviews before sending.
    • AI tutor for studentsStudents ask why a move works on their own reviewed positions and get a grounded explanation and step by step hints.
    • AI syllabus and lesson planningAI drafts a syllabus or lesson plans from weak areas, and the coach edits and confirms them before saving.
    • AI copilot for academy recordsAsk questions about a student's records in plain words and get an answer that cites the records behind it.
    • Human approval of AI draftsAI drafts for families wait in a queue until a coach or admin edits and approves them.
    • Personal data masked for AIDates of birth and ID numbers are masked and names can be pseudonymised before text reaches the AI.
    • AI admin assistantAsk in plain words to add a student, mark attendance or record a payment, and AI prepares the action for you.
    • AI enquiry chatbotAn AI chatbot on the academy's website answers parent questions about classes, fees and timings and captures the lead.
    • Counselling call transcriptionEnquiry calls are transcribed in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, English and other Indian languages and filed to the lead.
    • AI voice agent for enquiriesAn AI voice agent calls new enquiries, answers common questions, qualifies interest and books a trial or counselling slot.
    • AI answers from past classesStudents ask questions and AI answers from the academy's recorded classes and webinars, pointing to where it was covered.

12. Branding and white label

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    • Your own branded appThe academy's own app in the App Store and Google Play, with its name, icon and colours for parents and students.Pro plan and up
    • Branded certificatesCertificates carry the academy's name, logo and colours, with a QR code linking to a verification page.
    • Branded emails from your senderEmails go out under the academy's own sender name and domain, in its colours, with no ChessCore footer.Grow plan and up
    • Branded parent, payment and consent pagesParent, payment and consent pages carry the academy's or partner school's logo, colours, legal name and contact details.
    • Your own custom domainRun the parent and student portal on the academy's own web address, with the DNS records checked and verified for you.Grow plan and up
    • Embeddable website widgetsEmbed enquiry forms, standings, pairings and player cards on the academy's website without ChessCore branding.
    • Academy logo and coloursUpload the academy's logo and set its brand colour once, and they appear across the app, invites and portals.
    • White label under your brandThe academy's name, logo, colours, email sender and domain on every parent and student screen, message and email, with ChessCore's name removed.Grow plan and up
    • Branded student reportsProgress reports and report cards carry the academy's logo, colours and contact details.

    See white label in depth

13. Analytics

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    • Attendance analyticsSee attendance trends over time by batch, coach and centre, and spot students who are slipping.
    • Coach utilisationCompare sessions each coach taught against a target to see who is overloaded and who has room.
    • Academy dashboardOne home dashboard shows fees collected, active students, attendance and new leads, compared with the previous period.
    • CSV, Excel and PDF exportsExport any analytics table to CSV or Excel, or download the whole report as a PDF.
    • Enrolment funnelSee how leads move from enquiry to trial to enrolment, with conversion rates by coach.
    • Retention and churn analysisTrack how many students stay by joining cohort, and get early warning on students at risk of leaving.
    • Revenue reportsSee revenue over any date range, broken down by program, centre and payment status.
    • Batch health checksEach batch gets a health check on attendance, progress and fees, with reports sent on a schedule.
    • Talent scouting shortlistsFind promising players across clubs and centres from their results and build shortlists for squads or scholarships.

14. Platform and trust

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    • Open REST APIA documented REST API with an OpenAPI file lets developers read and write students, notes, events and webhooks.
    • E-signed waivers and contractsSend waivers and enrolment contracts that families sign online, with versioned templates and a signing record.
    • Data exportExport the student list, a family's full records and any analytics table whenever the academy needs them.
    • Free planStart on a free plan with no credit card, covering a small roster with scheduling and Stockfish analysis.
    • Free trial of paid plansTry a paid plan free before paying, with access to the features that plan includes.
    • Data import and migration helpImport students, leads and enrolments from CSV or Excel with column mapping and undo, or let ChessCore staff move the data.
    • Multi-language interfaceUse the app in several languages, including English and Hindi, and send messages in each guardian's own language.
    • Installable mobile web appInstall the web app on any phone's home screen as a standalone app for staff, parents and students.
    • iOS and Android appsApps for iPhone and Android in the App Store and Google Play for staff, parents and students.
    • Offline accessIf the connection drops, the app keeps showing recently opened pages so schedules and records stay readable.
    • Setup done for youA setup wizard gets a new academy running, and ChessCore staff can set up and move the academy's data for it.
    • Flat capacity pricingPlans are flat capacity tiers by roster size, so adding a student never raises the bill within a tier.
    • DPDP, GDPR and COPPA toolsGuardian consent records, versioned privacy notices, data export and erasure requests, and retention rules for children's data.
    • Two-factor sign-in and audit logStaff sign in with two-factor codes or passkeys, admins can require it, and an audit log records every change.
    • Email support and guided helpEvery plan gets email support, and support staff can open a logged, read-only view of the academy to help.
    • Workflow automationsBuild automation rules from a template gallery, see each rule's run history, and switch rules on when ready.
    • Chain and franchise managementRun a group of academies with head office templates, cross-branch reports, franchise fees and one shared brand.
    • Protected course videosCourse videos stream with encryption and DRM that blocks screen recording, so paid content stays inside the academy.
    • MCP server for AI agentsAn MCP endpoint lets an outside AI agent search records and run the same tools as the in-app copilot.
    • Single sign-onStaff sign in with their Google or Microsoft work account through single sign-on.
    • Website integrationConnect the academy's own website to classes, play and training, so visitors move straight into enrolment and practice.
    • Zapier and webhooksSend academy events to Zapier and other tools through signed webhooks, with a delivery log and replay.

A few items are tied to a plan. Online fee collection through Razorpay UPI AutoPay and Stripe, and WhatsApp payment links and reminders, start on the Grow plan and up, and so do white label and your own domain. Lichess and Chess.com auto-sync and your own branded app start on the Pro plan and up. Student limits differ by plan too, so compare which plan includes each feature. To see how the areas connect, read how one student record connects every step. For detail, open fee collection and invoices or monthly progress reports.