How Rookly works

Whether you're running an after-school chess club, coaching a competitive team, or looking to offer enrichment options with academic benefits, Rookly lets your students compete nationally—no travel required.

Students playing around with an opened-up rook containing gears inside.

Ancient game, modern features

Weekly Head-to-Head Matches

Play structured, timed matches against other schools each week—no uncertainty, no chaos.

Smarts, Sportsmanship, and Seriously Fun

How the League Works

Rookly’s scholastic league runs like a season-long tournament—no travel required. Teams in our leagues enjoy:

  1. Weekly head-to-head school matchups
  2. Skill-based pairings for every student
  3. League standings and playoff finals
  4. Play from school with friends

What You Need to Play

Setup is designed to be easy and lightweight: Onboarding takes under an hour for coaches and students can be playing same-day.

  1. A desktop, laptop, or tablet...with or without a camera
  2. Internet connection
  3. No extra software or installs required
A computer, iPad, and phone displaying Rookly

Ready to bring Rookly to your school?

Schedule a demo to see the platform in action, ask questions, and learn how Rookly can transform your chess program.

Schedule a Demo

What Students Experience

Rookly is more than just online chess - it's a team sport. Rookly players experience:

  1. Students play weekly matches while seeing their opponent on camera (optionally!)
  2. School pride is encouraged with team identities and visual rankings
  3. Emojis and reactions add a layer of fun and sportsmanship
  4. Gamification elements keep engagement high across all age levels
Screenshot of a student playing on Rookly, seeing the board, leaderboard, and an emoji sent by their opponent

How Proctors Help

Each league match is supervised by an experienced chess teacher. Proctors do the following:

  1. Answer any questions about using Rookly immediately
  2. Check on matches periodically to make sure students are engaging in a healthy way
  3. Support any students who need it
  4. Provide a running commentary to students waiting between games about fun ongoing games
Screenshot of a Rookly proctoring waving to a student and interacting through chat

Hear from our Community

“My students and I just joined Rookly and absolutely love it! Rookly keeps the kids engaged with weekly tournaments against peer schools, provides balanced competition for players of all levels, and develops team spirit as the players cheer each other on. It's quickly becoming the highlight of the week for many and driving our club membership to record levels!”

NM Josh Sinanan

Teacher, Chess Coach, Lakeside Middle School, Seattle

Frequently Asked Questions

How the League Works

Looking for a particular answer? See all FAQS

Rookly is trusted by 202 schools and counting. Ready to be next?

Schedule a demo to see the platform in action, ask questions, and learn how Rookly can transform your chess program.

Schedule a Demo