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Making "Chess Clubs For Students" Work!

by John Bain

Build a robust, well-attended, successful scholastic chess club! Learn how to start, organize and run a fun and strong chess club in school! For the parent, coach or teacher who wants to organize a chess club at the K-12 grade levels with enthusiastic student participation.

Kids sitting outside on big chess pieces.

How to Start?

For a chess club to function well and be successful, several things are essential:

1) students must know the chess rules;

2) they must learn four basic checkmate patterns;

3) they must respect their opponents—asking, what is my opponent threatening;

4) they must respect themselves, understand blunders—asking, is my next move safe; and,

5) they must learn chess notation.

This learning can take place during the first three or four chess club meetings that a student attends—and be reinforced throughout the chess season.

More experienced students in the club can mentor the newer younger students. In a relatively short time, students should be able to demonstrate understanding at these tasks as well as they can spell their names!


What Makes "Chess Clubs For Students" Work?

Parts 1-6

by John Bain

Intro: What Makes "Chess Clubs For Students" Work? outlines practices for building a well-attended, successful chess club.

Part 1 - Basic Chess Skills and Psychology For Students emphasizes how learning the Chess Rules and Three Psychological Practices enable students to become stronger players.

Part 2 - Basic Endgame Checkmate Patterns For Students covers Four Basic Endgame Checkmate Patterns that will yield collateral benefits to all aspects of a student's games.

Part 3  - Choosing Location, Meeting Times & Equipment demonstrates that the right location, the right meeting times, and quality chess equipment will foster enthusiastic student chess club participation.

Part 4 - Chess Club Activities For Students shows that activities that are fun--and that improve chess knowledge and skills--are the lifeblood of a well-run, great chess club!

Part 5 - How to Promote Chess Clubs in Schools presents the very best, promising practices for promoting school chess clubs.

Part 6 - What Chess Teaches Kids About Life notes the virtues, lessons and life skills that chess teaches!


NEXT> Part 1: Basic Chess Skills and Psychology! will cover fun and interesting ways to improve students' basic skills and strength!


Looking for scholastic chess club equipment and workbooks?  Visit ChessForStudents

Chess for Students