RAW BEGINNER'S CURRICULM OUTLINE

BEGINNER THROUGH INTERMEDIATE CURRICULUM OUTLINE

BASIC SKILLS TEST

ADVANCED BEGINNER CURRICULUM OUTLINE

EXPERIENCED PLAYER CURRICULUM OUTLINE

RAW BEGINNER'S COURSE

DESCRIPTION:     This course is designed to teach  chess to children who have no knowledge of the game.  Students will learn pawn and piece movements as well as the fundamentals of the  beginning, the middle and  the end game.  Students will always touch and use equipment. Part of the class will be board demonstrations and part practical interaction.

 

RESPONSIBILITY:Students must show respect to the instructors by paying attention and doing all assigned tasks.

 

IN CLASS USE:     Tournament size chess boards and pieces for each student., Chess Notation Sheets Chess Video Tapes, Chess learning computer programs,   Worksheets

 

FURTHER INFO:    The Success Chess website has information about many topics including:  how chess makes children smarter and specific books and CD-Roms that will improve a students knowledge of chess:

 http://www. SuccesssChess.com

Lesson 1:       The Story of Chess, The Chessboard is Your Kingdom, these are    the  loyal subjects,

Lesson 2:       Get Ready to Play (set up board & pieces), A Numerical Value

Lesson 3:       The King! The Straight Away Rook, The Pawn--Forward March, Rewarding Brave Pawns, Rook and Pawn Game

Lesson 4:       The Bishop--Advisor to the King & Queen, The Bishop and Pawn Game,  The Queen--Fierce and Bold, The Queen and Pawn Game,

Lesson5:        The Knight—Ready to jump into battle, Check, Checkmate, Stalemate, Draw

Lesson 6:       Castling, En Passant (very basic),  Are you ready to play a game?, How to read and write chess, A Famous Game, The 30 Rules of Chess

                             Lesson 7:        Practice Chess Tournment

Lesson 8:        How to read and write chess, A Famous Game,

Lesson 9:      Exchange Value of Pieces (Bishop for Knight Trade, The Exchange, Values Change with Position), Drawn or Tied Games (perpetual check, not enough  material  to checkmate.

Lesson 10:     Review stalemate, 3-move repetition of position, the 50 Move Rule, agreement), Fool's Mate, Scholar's Mate, How to use a chess clock.

Lesson 11:     The 30 Rules of Chess: Opening Principles, Endgame Principles

Lesson 12:     Pins, Forks, Discovered Checks, Double Checks, Skewers

Lesson 13:     Checkmating the lone king: Checkmating with King & Queen, Checkmating with King & two Rooks

Lesson 14:     The Endgame, Tactics, Position, Some Openings For Children

Lesson 15:     Chess Tournament Rules: How to use a clock, Proper chess etiquette, Practice Tournament with full USCF rules

Lesson 16:     Practice Tournament Continued, Awards & Certificates to all

 

RECOMMENDED AFTER COURSE:  Fischer, Margulies, Mosenfelder,  Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, Bantam Books, $7.99 ChessMaster: Grandmaster Edition for PC.   ChessMaster 9000 for the Mac has some teaching capabilities, Chess Mentor (http://www.chess.com) about $80.

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BEGINNER THROUGH INTERMEDIATE COURSE

 

DESCRIPTION:       This course is designed for students who already know the basics of how to play chess.  Principles of tactics and strategy will be taught to prepare students for more rigorous competition.

 

RESPONSIBILITY:  Students should keep a folder at home to store any  handouts. Students must show respect to the instructors by paying attention and doing all assigned tasks.

 

IN CLASS USE:       Tournament size chess boards and pieces for each student, Chess Notation Sheets Chess Video Tapes, Worksheets

 

FURTHER INFO:      The Weibel website (http://www.WeibelChess.org) has information about many topics including:  how chess makes children smarter and specific books and CD-Roms that will improve a students knowledge. To learn what is happening in Northern California check out http://www.CalNorthYouthChess.org and http://www.CalChess.org

 

DAILY ACTIVITY:    Half the period, each day, will be spent on tactics and strategy and half on playing chess under tournament conditions. Note: Lessons may last more than one session.

Lesson 1  Introduction!  Learn what students know-administor SCS Basic Skills Test Practice, review by going over results

Lesson 2  Continue review: value of pieces, castling, en passant, exchange Value of Pieces (Bishop for Knight Trade, The Exchange, Values Change with Position), Drawn or Tied Games (perpetual check, not enough material  to checkmate, forks, pins, discovered checks, double checks, skewers, stalemate, 3-move repetition of position, the 50 Move Rule, agreement), Fool's Mate, Scholar's Mate, How to use a chess clock

Lesson 3  Play and record game for analysis; go over notation with opponent & discuss better moves, mistakes, thoughts etc.

Lesson 4 A Famous Game-COUNT ISIDORE VS. MORPHY: Strategy & Tactics in Chess (what they mean) Positional vs Tactical players

Lesson 5 The 30 Helpful Rules of Playing Chess: Opening Principles, Middlegame Principles, Endgame Principles:  Tactics & Strategies

Lesson 6  Checkmating the lone king: checkmating with King & Queen, checkmating with King & two Rooks, checkmating with King and one Rook

Lesson 7 Development: open lines, weak squares, trapped pieces

Lesson 8 Pawn Power in chess, Controlling squares  & diagnals

 

RECOMMENDED AFTER COURSE:        We suggest you obtain a copy of Dan Heisman’s Everyone’s 2nd Chessbook, Lazlo Polgar’s Chess, 5334 problems, Fred Wilson’s 101 Questions on How to Play Chess and Frisco del Rosario’s A First Book of Morphy. Also, if you can still locate a copy of the CD-Rom, Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess, it is great.  For more resources go to:

                      http://www. CalNorthYouthChess.org/WeibelChess/Books.html.

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BASIC SKILLS CHECK LIST

(Some of the things we expect students to know after graduating from our Beginner’s Programs)

________ 1. DEMONSTRATE HOW THE PAWN MOVES.   P
________ 2. DEMONSTRATE HOW THE KNIGHT MOVES.N
________ 3. DEMONSTRATE HOW THE BISHOP MOVES. B
________ 4. DEMONSTRATE HOW THE QUEEN MOVES. Q

________ 5. DEMONSTRATE HOW THE KING MOVES.   K
________ 6. DEMONSTRATE KING-SIDE CASTLING
________ 7. DEMONSTRATE QUEEN-SIDE CASTLING
________ 8. STATE THE RELATIVE VALUE OF THE PIECES.
________ 9. EXPLAIN THE TERMS RANK, FILE, DIAGONAL.
________10.EXPLAIN THE TERM CENTER.
________11.SHOW THE CENTER SQUARES.
________12.EXPLAIN WHAT IS MEANT BY THE TERM DEVELOPMENT.
________13.PLACE A CHECK ON THE CHESSBOARD.
________14.PLACE A CHECKMATE ON THE CHESSBOARD.
________15.PLACE A STALEMATE ON THE CHESSBOARD—EXPLAIN.
________16.EXPLAIN THE TOUCH MOVE RULE.
________17.DEMONSTRATE A PIN.
________18.DEMONSTRATE A FORK.
________19.DEMONSTRATE A SKEWER.
________20.SET UP A BACK-RANK MATE ON THE CHESSBOARD.
________21.DEMONSTRATE A DISCOVERED ATTACK.
________22.EXPLAIN THE 3 WAYS TO GET OUT OF CHECK.
________23.BASICALLY WHEN DOES THE MIDDLE-GAME BEGIN IN CHESS.
________24.BASICALLY WHEN DOES THE END-GAME BEGIN IN CHESS.
________25.SHOW THE FOOL’S MATE AND EXPLAIN WHY IT IS CALLED A FOOL’S MATE.
________26.NAME 3 BASIC GUIDELINES/RULES FOR OPENING A CHESS GAME.
________27.NAME 2 BASIC GUIDELINES/RULES USED IN THE ENDING OF A CHESS GAME.
________28.CHECKMATE USING A KING AND QUEEN AGAINST A LONE KING.
________29.CHECKMATE USING A KING AND TWO ROOKS AGAINST A LONE KING.
________30.SHOW HOW TO PREVENT GETTING MATED BY THE SCHOLAR’S MATE

BONUS QUESTION:

________ EXPLAIN WHY YOUR TRYING TO PLAY THE SCHOLAR’S MATE IS UGLY CHESS. (5 PTS) ________ DESCRIBE HOW YOU SHOULD START A GAME OF CHESS THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED BEAUTIFUL CHESS.(5 PTS)

SCORE:__________

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ADVANCED BEGINNER  COURSE

 

DESCRIPTION:      This course is designed for students who understand the basics of chess tactics and strategy. This course will emphasize more advanced strategy, primarily time and spaces advantage in the game of chess.

 

RESPONSIBILITY:Students should keep a folder at home to store any  handouts. Students must show respect to the instructors by paying attention and doing all assigned tasks.

 

IN CLASS USE:       Students will be provided tournament size chess boards and pieces, Chess Notation Sheets Chess Video Tapes, Worksheets

 

FURTHER INFO:    The Success Chess website (http://www.SuccessChess.org) has information about many topics including:  how chess makes children smarter and specific books and CD-Roms that will improve a students knowledge. To learn what is happening in Nor-Cal youth chess you  can go to http://www.CalNorthYouthChess.org

 

DAILY ACTIVITY: Half the period, each day, will be spent on tactics and strategy and half on playing chess under tournament conditions. Note: Lessons may last more than one session.

Lesson 1        Introduction!  Learn what students know-administor SCS Basic Skills Test, If needed, recommend a skill level class change.

Lesson 2        Developing Board Vision

Lesson 3        Board Vision and how it should/must be used (eg. think with your head not your hands; you can’t play what you don’t see; look what your opponent is doing;the more you are winning, the more you should think defense; an attack on the flank is best met by a counterattack in the center)

Lesson 4        Board Vision and Time (tempo and how to achieve it)

Lesson 5        Board Vission and Space Advantages (space count and how to maximize the advantage)

Lesson 6        Asuuming the worst and assuming the best—do not assume

Lesson 7        Avoiding “Flip a coin and hope chess” for REAL CHESS (use 100% of the time,  no: “I can’t work hard on every move; it’s too much effort!”)

Lesson 8        Avoiding decoys and blunders

Lesson 9        Learning how to do a post-mortum (going over you games with your opponent to find your time space errors and improve your board vision)

 

RECOMMENDED AFTER COURSE:  Robert Synder’s, Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors, Graham Burgess, The Mammoth Book of Chess.L.A. Horowitz & Fred Reinfeld, How to Think Ahead in Chess. For more resources go to http://www.WeibelChess.org/Books.html.

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EXPERIENCED PLAYER CLASS

 

WHO:          This course is designed for students who

have experienced the pleasure of tournament chess or

have enjoyed the art of chess through extensive lessons.

 

DESCRIPTION:The students will be instructed in advanced chess strategy and planning.    Since the instructors for this level of chess will be very talented at the game, the course material may vary depending on who is teaching the program. However, the basic concepts and objectives will remain consistent.

 

RESPONSIBILITY: Students must show respect to the instructors by paying attention and doing all assigned tasks.

 

IN CLASS USE:       Tournament size chess boards and pieces for each student., Chess Notation Sheets Chess Video Tapes, Chess learning computer programs, Worksheets.

 

CURRICULUM:      

Lesson 1: Introduction to Advanced Chess Strategy and Planning

Lesson 2: Good Knight vs. Bad Bishop

Lesson 3: Weak Dark Squares, Weak Light Squares

Lesson 4: Queenside Pawn Majority in the Endgame

Lesson5: Attacking the King: King Hunting

Lesson 6: The Two Bishops

Lesson 7: The Exchange Sacrifice

Lesson 8: Essential Knowledge in King & Pawn Endgames

Lesson 9: Attacking the King: Focal Points Against the Castled King

Lesson 10: Passed Pawns & Blockade

Lesson 11: Essential Knowledge in Rook & Pawn Endgames

Lesson 12: Opposite-colored Bishops in the Middlegame

Lesson 13 Prophylaxis – Prevention of Counterplay

Lesson 14: Attacking the King: Classic Bishop Sacrifice & Double

Bishop Sacrifice

 

RECOMMENDED AFTER COURSE:

Reuben Fine, Ideas Behind the Chess Openings,

Reuben Fine, The Middle Game in Chess

Richard Reti , Masters of The Chess Board

Chess Mentor (http://www.chess.com) about $80.

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