Intro: What Makes "Chess Clubs For Students" Work?

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.

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