English Chess Forum

Week 6. Back after half term and delighted to find all the children in attendance. All had played during half term, 2 teaching their parents. 1 had had a birthday and got a Staunton full size set as a present. 2 more children's parents approached me during half term to join but had to turn them down...

Hello Scott, I notice that Paul Lam is now setting up the Coventry Chess Academy, starting in July and meeting in the Cheylesmore area. I don't know if that is a direct result of your earlier contact with him but it is great news. For anyone else interested in junior coaching in Coventry, details a...

Week 5. Acquired a new player this week, so up to 8, 4 boys, 4 girls. Decided this is absolute maximum I can handle alone. Started with race against time. Recapped on pawn and rook move (fortunately new player knew these). Then set off playing rooks and pawn vs rooks and pawn games. Moved the oppone...

Thanks Geoff, good point. I hadn't considered it as being a sign of awareness of consequences.
It causes more stress to the opponent though as they think they have had 2 moves.
One to move a pawn and one to move it back!


Scott

Week 4: Full group of 7 children (4 girls, 3 boys). Got the children to set up the boards and pieces to check they were all there. Started with the same 'race against time' setup. Recapped on pawn and rook's legal moves (5mins) and paired them up according to general knowledge of the pieces. Set 6 o...

Week 3: Total 6 children (3 girls, 3 boys). Just 1 missing from regular group. I turned up 10 mins early to set up, to find 3 of them already there waiting for me. 4 of the 6 told me they'd been playing against their parents during the week. Started with the same 'race against time' to get pieces in...

Thanks for the comments and encouragement!
Good to know it's not just my ineptness that causes noise

John Foley: I just signed up for the Chess in Schools tutors' course in Birmingham at the end of June.
I'm led to believe you may be involved with that, so I guess I might see you then!

Week 2: Last week's children + 1 more girl (complete novice) = Total 6 children (4 girls, 2 boys). Started with a quick recap 'race against time' to get pieces in the right place on each board - working as a team (beat last week!) Explained chess is a battle/war between 2 armies and capturing pieces...

Thanks for the positive support Geoff.

Thanks Nick and Matthew. I am very wary of teaching too much and hope to quickly get to a point where I can spend only 5 mins recapping and introducing a new idea, and leave the rest of the 30 to playing games. But I decided I needed to do more in this first session to gauge what they knew. In hinds...

Hesitate to call myself a coach as this is completely new to me, but today was my first time teaching a small group of Year 2's (ages 6 and 7) how to play chess. Thought I'd capture brief thoughts here occasionally in the hope it might inform others in the same position in future. Some basic backgro...

All, thought you might like to know that tomorrow I run my first chess club for a group of six Year2 children at my local school. I expect this term will be about me cutting my teeth and understanding what might work and what won't, with a view to doing it bigger and better in the next academic year...

Hi Scott, Did you try here: http://www.chessinschools.co.uk/contact_us.htm 020 7935 3445 info@chessinschools.co.uk There's a sample curriculum here: http://www.chessinschools.co.uk/sample_curriculum.htm Tbh no, I filled in their enquiry form and hoped someone would contact me. I will call when I ge...

Thanks all, have emailed David.

I couldn't see an application form or detail of what info is required, or even how much it's possible to apply for...?