Toronto Chess Club Est. 2019
From education to entertainment, Toronto Chess Club is here to take chess to the next level.
We create thoughtful ways for people to learn, compete and connect—from curriculum-based instruction and private lessons to youth tournaments and weekly pub chess.
- Founded in 2019
- Education + competition
- Across the GTA
Our story
It started with teaching — and kept growing.
Peter Lambert founded Toronto Chess Club in 2019 after years of teaching chess across the GTA and beyond. Private lessons were the starting point, but the ambition was broader: to build a club that treated chess education as a serious craft while creating more opportunities for people to play.
That work connected Peter with schools, chess centres and clubs throughout the Toronto area, as well as teaching partnerships in remote communities in British Columbia. As the student base grew, TCC began running casual and rated tournaments, collaborating with other chess organizations and developing programmes for players at different stages of the game.
Jonathan Jocham later joined Peter as a partner, bringing additional focus to operations, tournament direction, the website and TCC’s digital work. Together they expanded the club from a private teaching practice into an organization spanning Academy classes, individual instruction, the Youth Circuit, Pub Chess and special events.
Today, TCC also depends on a growing network of instructors, arbiters, venue partners, schools, families and players. The format continues to evolve, but the original idea remains: chess deserves thoughtful teaching, well-run competition and spaces people want to return to.
Teaching team
Meet the instructors.
Founder, instructor & National Arbiter
Peter Lambert
Peter founded Toronto Chess Club in 2019, beginning with private lessons. A titled National Arbiter, experienced instructor and curriculum writer, he has taught in schools, organized rated tournaments and led a volunteer team at the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament. His lessons combine structured study with practical play and game analysis. He also leads Academy classes in Oakville.
Instructor & educator
Jordan Burge
A longtime York Region DSB teacher and active rated chess player, Jordan brings extensive classroom and coaching experience to chess instruction. Warm, encouraging and creative in his approach, he is especially effective with elementary-aged youth. He also contributes to Toronto Chess Club’s Chess Steps teaching materials and has worked as an assistant arbiter at the club’s Markham CYCC qualifiers. He leads Academy classes in Markham West.
National Master Instructor
Shon Lazarev
Shon has played competitive chess since he was 11, stemming from playing constantly with his grandfather, father and brothers in his youth. He achieved his National Master title in July 2026 and has won classical, rapid and blitz tournaments. He has taught students one-on-one and in class settings with Yalla Chess Club, Markham Chess Club and Chess Institute of Canada. Fluent in English and Hebrew, with working fluency in French and Russian, Shon also founded and manages the online Thornhill Chess Club, where he has organized more than 70 CFC-rated tournaments since 2020.
Instructor
Joel Robertson
Joel first discovered chess in the sixth grade and quickly became fascinated, spending evenings, weekends and summers playing online and learning everything he could about the game. In high school, he co-founded the Mount Allison University Chess Club in Sackville, New Brunswick; in 2015, he helped found a chess club at Bishop McAllister College in Kyogera, Uganda. Since relocating to Toronto in 2022, he has taught weekly classes at dozens of schools. He makes chess fun, engaging and memorable through stories and metaphors young students can relate to, hoping to create lifelong players who appreciate the beauty of the game. He leads Academy classes in Markham East.
What guides us
Education, competition and community belong together.
Players improve—and keep playing—when thoughtful teaching, well-run events and genuine social connection reinforce one another.
Education
Teach with structure.
Academy classes, private instruction and teaching partnerships let us meet players at different ages, levels and goals. We use proven curriculum without losing room for curiosity or individual needs.
Competition
Run events with care.
From CFC-rated Youth Circuit tournaments to casual weekly play, we aim for formats that are clear, fair, professionally run and welcoming to the people sitting down to play.
Community
Make room to connect.
Classes, tournament halls and Pub Chess offer different ways to find opponents, build friendships and become part of the chess community across Toronto and the GTA.
Leadership
The people behind the work.
Peter and Jonathan share Toronto Chess Club’s direction and tournament work, with different day-to-day areas of focus.
Founder Education lead National Arbiter
Peter Lambert
Peter founded Toronto Chess Club in 2019 and leads its educational direction. An experienced instructor and curriculum writer, he has coached hundreds of students, taught through schools and chess organizations, and worked with communities in the GTA and British Columbia.
He also organizes rated tournaments and led a volunteer team at the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament. Across each part of the work, Peter brings a teacher’s attention to how players understand the game and what will help them progress.
Partner Operations + digital National Arbiter
Jonathan Jocham
Jonathan joined TCC as a partner and leads much of its operational, website, custom-code and design implementation. He works with Peter on the club’s overall direction while turning new programmes and event ideas into practical systems.
As a National Arbiter, Jonathan also helps plan and run rated and unrated tournaments. His work connects the behind-the-scenes details—registration, presentation, technology and logistics—that shape how players experience TCC.
Start here
Come find your place at the club.
Join a class, enter a tournament, drop into Pub Chess or get in touch about working together.