chess

“Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer.”
– Albert Einstein

Course Features

Layout Principle

Focus on various layout principles. Developing students’ observation and attention skills.

Strategic Tactics

Prepare students to know the chess pieces on the chessboard and learn how to move them.

Situational Judgments

Train the efficiency and intensity of offense and defense.

Course Contents

Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Master

Beginner

Brief chess history

Where and when did chess originate
How has the game changed over time

Conversation about important qualities in a chess player

Patience
Hard work / Practice

Understanding the battlefield

Ranks
Files
Diagonals
Coordinate system (naming squares)

Piece movement and rules (In the following order recommended) USE IMAGES!

Pawns + Promotion
Bishops
Rooks
Queens
Knights
Kings
Always hides in his castle
“Mr. Lazypants”

Intermediate

Introduction to basic goals in the opening

Control the center
Show the knight using octopus imagery to demonstrate its power in the center of the board and contrast this with the knight on a1, h1, a8, or h8
Develop minor pieces
Castle the king (Teach Castling here) Two Rook Mate

Detailed lectures on the opening of a chess game

Development
Get the king to safety
Detailed analysis of this famous kingside attacking game
Demonstrate to the students' whites’ weak development in this game
Highlight blacks’ lead in the development
Highlight whites’ weak moves on the flanks
Showcase blacks’ domination of the center
Examine the tactical theme of Dark Square bishop pining whites F pawn
Analyze h2-h3 creating a weak square g3 around the king

Advanced

Compare and contrast the goals in each stage of the game

- Opening
- Middlegame
- Endgame

Endgame study

Queen and King Endgame
Rook and King Endgame

Revisit checkmate and develop student’s ability to calculate

Mates in 2
Mates in 3
Simple Mates in 4
Talk about forcing moves.
Why did you make that move?
Was there a better move?
Why is this a weak move?
What are the goals of this move?
Is this move relevant to the position?
Can you explain your move?
What are the major threats in the position?
Which side has a lead in development?

Mating Patterns

Master

Further analysis of pawn structures

Lectures of the book: Soviet Middlegame Technique by Grand Master Peter Romanovsky

Concrete scheme
Dynamism
Several lectures regarding rook on the 7th or 2nd rank motifs
Harmonious action of rook and bishop

Trading material when and how

Why should children learn chess?

The #1 Chess Lessons for Kids

Chess training and practice supports the development of higher-order thinking skills—like problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, planning, and even creative thinking.