Chess Projects

I have two chess projects.

First I want our Elementary Chess club to continue to enjoy success. By this I mean that our new children get a good foundational chess education so they can rightly play and enjoy the game. And I want our more experienced players to continue to improve through playing and learning. Chess has been a great hobby for me. I want to pay that forward for them.

My other project is my own chess play. To this end I am preparing to play "1001 Arabian Knightmares" This is my way of saying that it is time for me to play and apply my studies. I want to play hundreds of games on line, then re-join the USCF and play live tournaments.

I plan on posting regarding both projects here.


What is wrong with this picture?
Chess players know.

Kiss me Caissa.

Elementary School Once a Week Coaching

Dear Caissa,

Today I paired the experienced players of the Gesu Chess club against each other.

I will put the tournament style pairings sheet on the wall. This will remind them how it works in tournaments. I will remind them of the touch move rule, and silence. If they have a problem, they should raise their hand, and wait for an arbiter.

I will also be asking for them to notate the first ten moves. This will refresh their memories regarding chess language. I will need, 1.Notation Sheets 2.Pencils 3. Notation instructions. 4.Clocks set for 1/2 hour can be used if available.

Coaches Mike and Brian will serve as Arbiters and teachers for this group.

I will take the beginners group.  I plan on teaching the Kings, the Queens, and pawns if there is time.
I will use the laser pointer, demonstration board, and constantly name squares, just to get them used to it. I will have them play mini games with just these pieces.  I will need King and Queen and pawn sheets for them. I will need Checkmate and Stalemate, explained.

*Game one- King on King, If White can get across the Board White wins. If Black can stop White, Black Wins. * Game 2-King and Queen against the lone King. Take turns winning and not stalemating. *Game 3, opposite 2-1 pawn Majorities with Kings.

If this works, they will actually have a better foundation than some of the older players.

I only have about six sessions before they have an opportunity to play in one of Jim's wonderful beginner tournaments.

I plan to give homework sheets. Mate in one problems. I want them to sign them, and return them next week. We will keep a record of this and give out chess prizes to our best students, regardless of their ranking, or tournament success.

Sincerely,
This Old Patzer

(My Studies) Today I enjoyed more of Nigel Davies "Build a 1.d4 Repertoire"  and the "Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White". I am trying to see if a simple economical 1d4 opening can be crafted to my personal satisfaction, or if I just should adopt "A Strategic Chess Opening Repertoire for White, by John Watson, in its entirety.

I am happy to report that I have a comprehensive Black Repertoire scripted into Bookup  based on Dreev, Schandorff, Tiviakov, Lakdawala, Houska, Cox, Rizzitano, and Avrukh.

Now I am crafting the White side.

Good luck, self!

Oooo Shiny!

Everyone loves a good picture. For us chess players an embedded game we can follow is nice too. But if you go back in my blog history you can see nearly all of my pics have vanished. Oh well. Back to the breach. Here we go kids.                                               

Five things to do to play well in chess.

1.Play the same opening for a year. As White play 1.e4, or 1.d4. As Black against 1.e4 play e5, e6, or c6. Against 1d4 play The Queen's Gambit Declined (All Purpose System) Tartakower Variation, or The Tarrasch defense.

2. Deal with mistakes. Stop making simple piece drops. Notice and capitalize on the mistakes of the other player.

3.Make moves that matter. Get your pieces off their starting squares and into the game. Get Knights into the center, and Bishops on good diagonals. Get those rooks onto the open files. Get more space.

4.In an endgame after the Queen's are off and the game will be won by a pawn promotion, get your King into the center. The King is a fighting piece that does not need to hide any more.

5.Stay tough. Play the strongest moves you can find from the start to the end of the game. If you are losing, fight for your life! If you are winning, keep making strong moves.

Daniel Narodisky, Under 12 World Champion.

Our kids only have club once a week. We went to a tournament in Columbus and took second place. We entered a local Toledo tournament and were first in the k-5 section. We are holding most of the top boards in the GLCA when we have our little meets. I am so proud of them.

We are not Daniel Naroditsky, and I am no Elizabeth Vicary. But we are doing what we can with what we have.

Looking at these beautiful capable young people I am so sad for the loss of those twenty children in Connecticut today.

I want to do something for those families. But what can be done now? All I can do is pray. And I will.

Colle Queen's Gambit Declined French

To heck with long term purity. Lets get down and dirty with quick success.

Let the purists rage that I should take months to teach them endings and tactics and never restrict their growth by doing such a horrible thing as teaching openings.

Bullocks!

We only play once a week. We only have an hour. We are ordinary kids who probably will not go on to play competitive tournament chess as adults.

I will teach them the fastest cleanest way to win right now. I call Cecil Purdy as my witness. Let them learn one simple opening that will get them into the middle game and then play on from there.  Colle as white, Queen's Gambit Declined and French as Black. Over and Done.

Let the other schools do better. We will do the best we can with who we are and what we have right now.

Of course I wish I had time and they had the inclination to master endings they would be lucky to reach.

But what they need is tactical vision!

And as for the opening, think about football. Even pe-wee league has a few basic plans. Just because it is not a pro-set does not mean they can do without some organization. Openings are our Football plays. We cannot continue to pretend they don't matter.

Let purist snobs lift their noses and sneer. I hope our kids push their kids off the board.

Gesu Chess 2012

I love volunteering as a coach for the Gesu Chess club. Almost everyone who is in the club this year already has a year of experience.

The room is more difficult than last year. Last year I could go in early and set up the room. This year I rush in with the students as school ends. Last year I could set up the desks into an order that simulated a tournament. This year the desks are in a more clustered configuration suitable for small groups, but not ideal for chess. Last year I had access to the white boards where I could put chess quotes, piece valuations, and game scripts up. This year there is no space.

But I have dreams! These are wonderful children. They learn. They are stronger than they were last year.

I think that I can facilitate some order into the chaos, by initiating an internal tournament.

Part of the joy of chess comes from winning games. Part of the joy is the pleasure of mastery that grows with study. Part of the joy is participation in chess culture which transcends time and space. And part is the camaraderie of fellow chess players.

I dream happy dreams for our kids.

Been Busy

I have been fairly busy in my life apart from chess.

Even so I dream of playing one game a day on Chess.com, or is it 365 chess.com. And I want to continue the exercises on the tactics server.

But it is hot. People have died. I have projects with deadlines.

I really don't expect to come up for air till the second week of August.

Kiss me Caissa.