Campers are divided into eight groups: "White Kings" and "Black Kings" (advanced), "White Rooks" and "Black Rooks", "White Bishops" and "Black Bishops" (intermediate), and "White Knights" and "Black Knights" (beginners). Each level participates in a Socratic learning forum, dubbed “The Evans Method” by the United States Chess Federation. Designed to stimulate excitement and fun in the learning process, The Evans Method has produced national champions at every scholastic level and is used in dozens of schools throughout Southern California.

Campers learn with peers in an exciting, cumulative merit system that rewards participation. Practice joins theory with a chess tournament, a speed chess tournament, a simultaneous chess exhibition and a bughouse tournament. The Mate Race, a chess problem solving relay event, rounds out the schedule of activities.