CHESS
Chess is a brilliant game of strategy. There is significant scientific evidence that children who learn chess at a young age develop valuable skills and qualities that are positively applicable to their academic success, as well as life in general. Review the following programs to select which level is the right one for your child.
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Pawns
Pawn Group
The goal of the Pawn curriculum is to learn all the rules of chess and very basic strategy. Students should be comfortable playing a full game of chess by the end.
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PREREQUISITES:
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None
Topics that will be covered:
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Learning the movement of all of the pieces
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Understanding check and checkmate
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Creating basic checkmates
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Attacking and defending pieces
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The value of the pieces
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Special rules like castling, stalemate, and en passant
Intermediate
Knight Group
The goal of the Knight curriculum is to build a solid foundation for all areas of the game.
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PREREQUISITES:
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Know all the piece movements and how to make checkmate.
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If your child does not have a rating, but knows how to play the game, this group is the starting point for this class.
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Topics that will be covered:
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Common checkmating patterns
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The golden rules of the opening
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Fundamental tactics (forks, pins, skewers, etc.)
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Thinking two moves ahead
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Basic endgames
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Learning from the masters of the past
Knights
Bishops
Bishop Group
The goal of the Bishop curriculum is to improve visualization skills and keep drilling the fundamentals.
PREREQUISITES:
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Have a USCF rating of 300+ or any online rating (if on chesskid.com 800+ if on chess.com/lichess.org 800+)
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If your child can play Chess but does not have a rating, they should start in the Knights group.
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Topics that will be covered:
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Calculating checkmates or tactics two moves ahead
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Initiative in the opening
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Making the most of your pieces
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Advanced tactics (double check, deflection, interference, etc.)
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Defending against tactics
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Basic king and pawn endgames
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Learning from the masters of the past
Advanced
Rooks
Rook Group
The goal of the Rook curriculum is to hone the skills needed to become strong competitive players.
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PREREQUISITES:
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Have a USCF rating of 600+ or any online rating (chess.com/lichess.org) of 1000+
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Topics that will be covered:
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Deep calculation and tactics
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Opening theory and gambits
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Advanced positional concepts
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Important endgame principles
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Fighting against the opponent’s ideas
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Learning from the masters of the past