Opening courses and books get all the love from consumers. However, it is of much greater practical importance for young chess players wishing to get better at chess to spend time mastering basic endgame techniques instead of investing hours of time memorizing lines of openings made fashionable by popular chess streamers. My advice on thisContinue reading “Why Young Chess Players Should Focus on Pawn Endgames”
Category Archives: Chess Parenting
How to Help Young Chess Players Bounce Back from a Tough Loss
Losing is part of the game of chess and an important part of a young chess player’s growth. As a chess coach or chess parent, one of our most important roles is helping a child deal with a difficult loss at a chess tournament. Step 1 After every round, examine the chess game together inContinue reading “How to Help Young Chess Players Bounce Back from a Tough Loss”
Preparing Youth Chess Players for the State Scholastic Championships
March and April are traditionally the months that State Chess Organizations hold their Scholastic State Championships sometimes referred to as “Super States.” So it is, every year around this time, I receive lots of questions about the best way to prepare a young chess player for the Scholastic State Championships. Most of my students whoContinue reading “Preparing Youth Chess Players for the State Scholastic Championships”
Teaching the Fundamentals
Success of scholastic chess players at the State or National level is ultimately the result of the young player having talent, a strong work ethic and solid fundamentals. So, to prepare one of my talented students for the National Online Scholastic Quick Championship, I spent some time this afternoon reviewing the fundamental checkmates with them.Continue reading “Teaching the Fundamentals”
The Importance of Setting Lofty Goals in Chess
One of my most successful coaching techniques is encouraging my chess students to set lofty goals for themselves. Together we break these goals into attainable steps and utilize achievement markers to show progress. Of course, certain levels of chess expertise are not achievable for everyone and if they were, chess would be obsolete. For instance,Continue reading “The Importance of Setting Lofty Goals in Chess”
Kids Learn Chess Fast With Our Free Lessons
Do you learn chess better by playing or watching?
Question: Do you learn chess better by playing or watching? Answer: Ideally, there needs to be balance between learning by watching examples of strong play and attempting to apply what you have learned through playing chess. Following a study plan will help achieve this balance. Emmanuel Lasker was the World Chess Champion for twenty-six yearsContinue reading “Do you learn chess better by playing or watching?”
Obstructionist at the Chessboard
Question: What kind of chess player do other chess players dislike? Answer: Sadly, there are players of the trollish influence that after acknowledging they have lost, will neither leave nor move. If tournament directors inform me that any of my chess students engaged in such unsportsmanlike conduct, they are immediately suspended from our clubs. Unfortunately,Continue reading “Obstructionist at the Chessboard”
Getting the Lead Out (of chess pieces)
Given the environmental effects and neurotoxicity of lead, what would be a better material to use for adding weight to plastic chess pieces? http://www.quora.com/Given-the-environment-effects-and-neurotoxicity-of-lead-what-would-be-a-better-material-to-use-for-adding-weight-to-plastic-chess-pieces
Do chess playing children perform better in school? | ChessBase
The main finding was, “chess training reduces the treatment group’s level of risk aversion almost a year after the intervention ended.” Being more willing to take risks is generally a good thing in the world of academia, business, and social life. — Read on en.chessbase.com/post/do-chess-playing-children-perform-better-in-school
Chess Chat: Q&A with Karen Thurm Safran, Author of Parenting—Let’s Make a Game of It
Many people know you as the powerful marketing force behind some amazing companies and products. Authoring a parenting book seems to be an interesting career pivot for you. What motivated you to become an author? Thanks for including me on your blog… and for the compliment. Wow, we’ve known each other for nearly twenty yearsContinue reading “Chess Chat: Q&A with Karen Thurm Safran, Author of Parenting—Let’s Make a Game of It”