Question 1

How do I start?

Accepted Answer

Book a free 30-minute trial lesson. It is a real lesson, not a sales call: you get a written level assessment and a study roadmap afterwards, whether or not you continue. There is no card required.

Question 2

Do I need to already be good at chess?

Accepted Answer

No. Level 01 starts from knowing how the pieces move. About half of new students arrive with no rating at all. What matters far more than current strength is that the student is willing to think during the lesson.

Question 3

What ages do you teach?

Accepted Answer

Level 01 is for ages 5-9, Level 02 for 9-12, Level 03 for 12-16 and Level 04 for 14+. Adults are welcome at any level - just mention it when you enquire and the trial will be pitched accordingly.

Question 4

What happens in a lesson?

Accepted Answer

Each session is 60 minutes with the same structure: a target for the day, a warm-up on real positions, one theme worked in depth, a training game analysed live, then homework. The full breakdown is on the How It Works page.

Question 5

How often should we book?

Accepted Answer

Once a week is enough for a beginner building a habit. Two sessions a week is the usual choice above roughly 1200, and competitive players often want more. The trial will give you a recommendation rather than a sales pitch.

Question 6

What timezone are sessions in?

Accepted Answer

All published times are US Eastern Time. Because families are spread across the USA, Canada, the Middle East, Australia and Singapore, the exact slot is always agreed with you directly on WhatsApp rather than picked from a fixed grid.

Question 7

Are sessions online or in person?

Accepted Answer

Fully online, live over video with a shared board. Nothing to travel to, and students can join from anywhere in the world.

Question 8

My child is ill or away. Can we move the session?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with 24 hours notice you can move a session at no cost. It becomes a make-up session you can take once within 30 days of the original date.

Question 9

What if the coach is unavailable?

Accepted Answer

That is treated as a coach cancellation, not yours. The session is rescheduled or credited at no cost, and you are not expected to give 24 hours notice for something the academy caused.

Question 10

How many students are in a group class?

Accepted Answer

Capped per programme. The exact maximum is confirmed with you when you enquire, because schools and clubs book different formats.

Question 11

What does a session cost?

Accepted Answer

Private sessions run from $60 per session for beginners up to $150 for advanced players. Group programmes are $30 per session per participant. Every rate is published on the pricing page before you enquire.

Question 12

Is there a contract or minimum term?

Accepted Answer

No. There is no minimum number of sessions, no monthly commitment and nothing to sign on this website. You are agreeing only to the sessions you explicitly book.

Question 13

How do I pay?

Accepted Answer

Signa does not take payment on this website and never asks for card details here. After your trial we agree a rate and cadence with you on WhatsApp and tell you exactly how to pay. Prices are per session and never auto-renew.

Question 14

How much notice do I need to cancel?

Accepted Answer

24 hours. Move or cancel any session within that window and it costs nothing. A session missed with no notice at all may be forfeited, because that time could have gone to another family.

Question 15

Do make-up sessions expire?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A make-up session must be taken within 30 days of the session it replaces, so it is worth booking it in rather than sitting on it.

Question 16

What is the refund policy?

Accepted Answer

Sessions paid for in advance and not yet taken are refunded pro-rata at the rate you paid, back to your original payment method. Sessions already delivered are not refundable, because that time was genuinely taught. Send a message and it is settled without argument.

Question 17

How will I know my child is improving?

Accepted Answer

You get a written level assessment after the trial and a written progress report through the course, covering what was worked on, what changed, and what comes next. You do not have to understand chess to read them.

Question 18

Do you guarantee a rating increase?

Accepted Answer

No, and any coach who does is either very new or not being straight with you. Rating movement depends on the student, the amount of work done between sessions and the event itself. What we commit to is the plan, the report and the teaching.

Question 19

Do you prepare students for tournaments?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as part of Level 04. That covers opponent and opening preparation, clock management, and a match-day routine, alongside the calculation training a competitive player needs.

Question 20

Who actually teaches my child?

Accepted Answer

NM Dilshad Mohammed personally, in every session. He holds a USCF peak rating of 2306, a FIDE rating of 2103, and is a registered FIDE Instructor (profile 30909540). Both ratings can be checked publicly.

Question 21

What do I need to set up?

Accepted Answer

A computer with a stable connection, a free Chess.com or Lichess account, and Zoom or a shared browser board. That is genuinely all of it, and it takes about five minutes. ChessBase is optional and only recommended above about 1600.

Question 22

Is my child data safe?

Accepted Answer

We collect a parent or guardian contact detail, never a child account. Student names, ratings and progress are never published or shared. Ask and we will delete the records we hold. The full version is in the Privacy Policy.

Question 23

How quickly will I hear back?

Accepted Answer

Enquiries go to WhatsApp and are answered by a person, normally the same working day. There is no chatbot and no autoresponder.

Questions parents and players actually ask

Getting started

Scheduling and sessions

Price, cancellation and refunds

Progress and results

Practicalities

The terms, summarised

Still unsure? Ask before you book