International Chess Academy of New Jersey in Glen Rock & Teaneck

Operating in both Glen Rock and Teaneck is the International Chess Academy of New Jersey (ICA), a private Chess school established with the aim of providing professional instruction in a nurturing environment for students of all levels (beginners, advanced, master and Grandmaster level).

The academy was founded in 1996 by two women, Diana Tulman and Irina Levitina. Ms. Tulman is Chess Champion of her native land of Moldova and a highly-skilled coach/trainer. She currently serves as Director and oversees all programs for both campuses at ICA. Irina Levitina is a Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She's been a Soviet Women’s Champion as well as a U.S. Women’s Champion several times, and was named the world’s second-best women’s chess player in 1984 while a candidate for the Women’s World Championship.

Well connected in the world of chess, ICA attracts internationally-ranked coaches. GM Artur Jussupow (from Germany), GM Alexander Chernin (from Hungary), GM Victor Bologan (from Moldova), and WGM Tatiana Grabuzova (from Russia) are among the well-known chess trainers actively associated with the academy.

The curriculum at ICA offers after-school, weekend, and home-school study programs during the school year to kids ages 6 to 16. These programs are designed to nurture and train students from beginner player all the way to advanced qualifying Masters. Under the supervision of USCF licensed professional tournament directors, the school sponsors and participates in local, national, and international tournaments, and offers its students opportunities to compete regularly, qualify for rank advancement, and win cash awards and trophies along the way.

The academy not only offers classes in chess, but a Math Olympiad course, and an advanced math enrichment study program for grades 1-8. This program draws students who enjoy Math and are looking to be challenged on a higher level. ICA Math students are encouraged to compete in national and international Math tournaments, and every year ICA produces top winners at these competitions.

The ICA community is vibrant and active all year round, offering enrichment activities as well as multi-discipline, scholastic camps during summer, spring and winter to the youth of Bergen County. In the summer, Grandmaster camp brings talented young players with USCF/FIDE ratings of 1600 or higher from all over the world (France, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Germany, Poland, Russia, etc.) to the Glen Rock campus for a week of intense study.

In the past 20 years, many of the students who have attended ICA and committed themselves to the program, especially those whose parents have trusted, supported, and believed in the school, have ended up mastering more than just the game of chess. They have developed into the kind of student that practices discipline, works hard to achieve academic excellence, and is sought by top college and university programs for recruitment.

For more information about the International Chess Academy of New Jersey or their programs, please visit http://icanj.net, email: chessdirector@icanj.net, or call 201-833-1741 or 201-797-0330.