AI Coding, Math, and Chess Bootcamps for Kids and Teens At/Near MIT Campus
Learn artificial intelligence, Python, math, and algorithms on the chessboard in a fun after-school and weekend program taught by former first board player of MIT's chess team, Tamer Karatekin.
- Is your child ready to adapt in a career world quickly changing by artificial intelligence?
- Do you want to prepare your child for a high-paying career in AI?
- Image your child learning the history of AI through its historical testing ground, the chessboard.
- Discovering the joy of problem-solving in computer science mathematics
- And building their very first AI + Coding project—inside MIT’s inspiring campus.
Call/Sms/Whatsapp direct for enrollment and program info such as schedule and tuition: +16174305047
Or just email directly at [email protected]
See how your child can gain the motivation and resilience needed for an inspiring career in mastering AI. Find out if your child qualifies for this transformative program.
Our pre-registration Google form: https://forms.gle/5hiHeb9xdXhi3f5s9
Upcoming bootcamp dates in December:
Dec 6-17 & Dec 13-14
Dec 15-19
Dec 20-21 & Dec 27-28
Download our flyer to share with friends and communities
♟️ A Chess Champion and AI Education Leader Teaches a Chess + Coding + Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp at the MIT Campus
A Seed Planted Long Ago…
When I was six, I learned chess from my grandfather — a physics teacher with an old wooden chess set and a pedagogic approach. The exciting movement of the pieces, the clash of tactics, the analysis and search for a better move. These weren’t just games. They were lessons: logic, patience, respect.
Years later, I stood as Turkey’s National Chess Champion. I also held my own in simultaneous matches with legends like Kasparov and Karpov. I walked MIT’s corridors as a student, not just because of grades, but because of grit built at the board. Later, I have become a well-known chess coach and a project coordinator for scholastic chess. I’ve spoken on TEDxBoston about my experience as a chess-in-education advocate and how chess bridges cultures, inspires AI, and redefines the backbone of STEAM education.
Now, I bring all that into one powerful experience: a bootcamp at the MIT campus for middle and high school students who want to channel their interest in board games into a career in artificial intelligence. They want to grow into the thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators of tomorrow. To stay ahead in an employment world changed by AI, we believe it is very important for them to know the history of AI and how chess acted as the testbed for artificial intelligence in the last century.
Where Parents & Students Feel the Frustration
– You’ve tried regular after-school clubs. They fill time, but not curiosity and skills toward a high-earning career.
– You tried chess as a competitive sport, but as your child gets older, you don’t know how to channel that interest into an academic or employment skill.
– You didn’t try or like chess, but you wanted to learn the distilled knowledge and wisdom that comes with playing years of chess.
– Math seems like numbers, not discovery. STEM feels forced, not alive. Its connection to art and history is missing.
– Coding feels intimidating if they’ve never tried it. AI feels futuristic — but vague.
– You worry: Will they have something meaningful to show for it that matters to college admissions?
– More importantly, will they be able channel their teen year interests into an empoyable and high-rewarding skill?
– How can you give your child an edge in an academic and professional world deeply impacted by AI ? Especially when the early career hiring is at the lowest in history.
Build AI fluency through chess coding
Here’s My Promise to You & Your Child
Enroll in this bootcamp, and your child will:
Understand and learn the earliest puzzles of chess and how various artificial intellgeince algorithms were used to solve these.
Sharpen their intellectual curiosity — cultivate focus, strategic thinking, logical reasoning, patience
Experience mathematics of computer science through chess — where puzzles, games, and logic turn into fun learning, not rote memorization
Build coding & AI projects — beginner-friendly, hands-on, real-world applications so kids don’t just use AI, they understand how to build with it
Learn the historical progression of AI algorithms and their importance and their impact on the progress of AI
Walk through MIT on a private, exclusive tour — see where ambition lives and get inspired by the campus atmosphere, learn about pioneers of chess AI
Create a project portfolio that stands out on high school resumes and applications to top universities
Proof is in the Path: Tamer Karatekin’s Track Record
Chess Champion: National Champion of Turkey; drew games with Kasparov & Karpov.
MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Alumnus: First-board player of MIT’s chess team; accepted to both MIT & Harvard.
Global Innovator: TEDx Speaker, Mass Cultural Council and EU-funded AI educator, NIW awarded AI educator, and founder of Shatranj.AI. World-Class Coach: FIDE Master, FIDE Trainer, and mentor to medalists in global youth championships.
Below I’ll Share Success Stories from Some of My Students
Welcoming 2016 World Schools Under-8 Girls’ 2nd place equal points Elvin Büyük and her older sister Ecrin Büyük at Atatürk Airport upon their return from the tournament from Sochi.
Işık Can, 2013 World 2nd place under-8 years old 2014 World Schools Under-9 second place
Tamer Karatekin lifting the 3rd place cup of the Pan-American intercollegiate tournament with his school friends, 2002
Tamer Karatekin, Işık Can, who came 2nd in the 9-year-old boys category in the 2014 World Schools Championship, Işıl Can, who came 2nd in the 9-year-old girls category in the same tournament, and their family
İTÜ GVO Dr. With Natuk Birkan School Students In MEB 2015 School Sports Tournament
İTÜ GVO K-12 is one of the first schools in the world to have compulsory chess lessons in primary grades (since 2005)
Erdeniz Taşlıçukur 2014 Istanbul Under-9 1st place
Master the AI revolution through chess,
the game of kings
What Makes This Bootcamp Different?
In a world saturated with screen time, you want your child to engage with technology productively. At ChessCoding.ai, we don’t just teach children to write code; we teach them to think. By combining the timeless logic of chess with the modern power of Artificial Intelligence, we help students develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills required for success in top-tier universities and future careers.
What if the same strategies that win in chess also fuel AI and coding breakthroughs?
What if your child’s “game” became their advantage in academics and life?
What if they could step onto MIT’s campus, take a private tour, and imagine their future there?
This is not just another camp. It’s an exclusive experience that plants the seeds of ambition.
Our Philosophy In Action
We believe in transparency and educational depth. To understand the values we instill in our students, I invite you to watch my TEDx talk, “Bridging Cultures, Inspiring AI, and Redefining Education.” See firsthand why families trust us to guide their children into the future of technology.
⚖️ Still Got Questions?
“My child’s a beginner.” → Perfect. We start at their level and grow their skills.
“No coding experience.” → No problem. They’ll learn step-by-step.
“Will this really help with college?” → Yes. This is the kind of extracurricular achievement top schools notice.
🎓 Why Parents Choose This Bootcamp
✔ Strategic Thinking (Chess = foresight, patience, discipline)
✔ Critical & Analytical Skills (Math through chess makes problem-solving fun)
✔ Future-Proof Advantage (Coding & AI, early and practical)
✔ College Edge (Extracurricular project for MIT, Harvard, Stanford applications)
✔ MIT Inspiration (Private campus tour seals the dream)
🎓 The Curriculum
✔ Our program is not a generic coding camp. It is built on the shatranj.ai framework, a sophisticated curriculum funded by the European Union. Shatranj was and still is the name chess across the Middle East and Mediterranean. It has slightly simpler rules than modern chess and is easier to code from scratch. It is an important step on the evolution of modern chess from ancient chaturanga. We use historically important chess puzzles from various eras to contextualize AI algorithms, offering your child a rich blend of history, culture, and advanced computer science. It is a multi-disciplinary approach that stands out on academic resumes.
✔ It was developed by the prestigious European Union Erasmus+ youth grant
✔ shatranj.ai project and its curriculum covers the evolution of chess from Asia through Middle East and Mediterranean to Europe. The curriculum is culturally and historically inclusive.
✔ the topics of introductory and intermediate Python programming
✔ historical board game programming
✔ adversarial search algorithms such as DFS, BFS, heuristic search, minimax and Alpha Beta pruning
✔ board game puzzles such as Wheat and the Chessboard, Horse Tour, 8-queens, and Dilaram’s mate
✔ the 1000-year unsolved Suli’s diamond and its solution with and without dynamic programming
✔ reinforcement learning on the chessboard using OpenAI’s gym framework
✔ historical development of modern chess software such as DeepBlue, Stockfish and AlphaZero.
Limited Seats + Exclusive Perks
Because of MIT campus rules and our own dedication to each student’s success, enrollment is capped at 8 students per session. Pre-register through our Google form: https://forms.gle/5hiHeb9xdXhi3f5s9
Every student receives:
Certificate of Completion
Code notebooks and learning materials to follow-up self-study at home
Private Exclusive Tour of MIT Campus
Inspiration for future applications
Apply Now — Secure Your Child’s Seat
Free 1-on-1 Assessment with Tamer
Parents are encouraged to reach out to me directly via SMS/Whatsapp/Call/Email to learn more about program info such as schedule, tuition, and your child’s readiness level. My phone number is +16174305047 and email [email protected]
On this call, I’ll :
Assess your child’s current level in chess, math, and coding.
Recommend the right bootcamp track.
Answer parent questions personally.
So support this unique AI education project and secure your seat.
With Harvard Professor and chess grandmaster Kenneth Rogoff
World Seniors Chess Champion, MIT Sloan Alum, and chess opening AI expert Larry Kaufmann
At MIT Reunion
World Champion Garry Kasparov, Northeastern University Business School Dean prof.Cremer, Tamer Karatekin, and the Şahî chess set elephant, Abul-Abbas (Summer 2024)
With HBS GenAI executive fellow Paul Baier at Imagination in Action at MIT
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul Turkey, January 2024. Prof. Mustafa Kaçar, Dean of Science History Department at FSMVU with Tamer Karatekin, talking about the shatranj.ai project and Byzantine-Rumi circular chess
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this bootcamp for?
Our programs are designed for middle and high school students (ages 11–18) who are curious about chess, coding, or AI. Beginners and experienced students are equally welcome. We tailor instruction to each level. You don’t need to know chess as we go through the rules and their programming step by step.
Does my child need prior experience in coding or chess or AI?
Not at all! 🟢 No coding or AI background is required, and even students new to chess can join. We start from the basics and build up step by step.
Why combine Chess, Coding, and AI?
Chess builds:
critical thinking,
foresight,
patience, and
problem-solving.
Coding teaches:
logic,
creativity, and
real-world application.
AI provides a future advantage in today’s tech-driven world.
Together, they form a powerful foundation for academics and beyond. You can watch our tedx talk titled: ` Chess: Bridging Cultures, Inspiring AI, and Redefining Education` to understand our education philosophy better.
What makes this bootcamp unique?
✅ Led by Tamer Karatekin: Turkish National Chess Champion, MIT alumnus, TEDx speaker, and EU-funded AI educator.
✅ Hosted at MIT campus, including an exclusive private tour.
✅ Students complete a personal project that strengthens their college applications.
Will this help with college applications?
Yes ✅. Students leave with a certificate of completion, a chess + AI project, and a prestigious MIT campus experience — a unique extracurricular achievement valued by top universities.
How much does the program cost?
Beginner Chess Course (Online)
$500 per 16-week semester
Suggested to follow both Fall & Spring for full 32 lessons
Mathematics Through Chess (for primary grades, ages 7-12, based on EU-funded Champs curriculum)
$1,000 — 4-Day Bootcamp at MIT Campus
$500 — Online-only option
Chesscoding.AI main bootcamp: AI Through Chess (for ages 11-18, based on EU-funded shatranj.ai curriculum)
$1,250 — 4-Day Bootcamp at MIT Campus + Online Lessons
$650 — Online-only option
Scholastic Chess Tournament Prep
$800 — 8-Week Cohorts (Twice a week online + in-person tournament coaching)
Taught/led by FIDE Master and FIDE Trainer Tamer Karatekin
All programs include: Personalized instruction from Tamer Karatekin Small-group learning (max 12 students) Certificate of completion Exclusive MIT campus inspiration (for in-person bootcamps)
Do you offer online-only bootcamps?
Yes . If you can’t travel to MIT campus on weekends, vacation breaks, or during the summer holiday, we offer 16 lesson long online-version of the bootcamp for %50 of the price. Lessons happen during afterschool hours EST, once of twice a week, depending on the tempo you will choose.
Do you offer vacation break or summer camps?
Yes . We offer boot camps during vacation breaks and weekdays during summer holiday. Reach out to lock in a date.
How can I learn if this is right for my child?
We offer a free 1-on-1 assessment call with Tamer.
During this call, he’ll evaluate your child’s level, recommend the best program track, and answer your questions. Call/SMS/Whatsapp directly at +16174305047 or reach out via email: [email protected]
Contact
Phone
89 South Street Suite 203, Boston, MA, 02111, US
