Cover of Material Girls

There are team competitions in chess, which are very fun.  You build a team of four players and play other teams. The strongest player is on “board 1” and the weakest occupies “board 4”.

One of the fun aspects was coming up with a name and then finding costumes to fit the name.

One year we were the “Material Girls” (in chess the pieces are called “material”, so if you have more pieces than your opponent you have a “material advantage”).

We all wore crowns that we made ourselves.  Yes, it was silly, but it was fun.

It was unusual to have an all women’s team. I think that was the only year we did so.  One year, I was with the Roots (Doug and Alexey Root are very strong players) and another friend, Diana Gherghe.

We were “Rooty, Tooty, Fresh and Fruity”.  So, because I was the weakest of this group, I got to be “Fruity”.  I was so honored to be a part of the team that I didn’t mind the constant teasing throughout the tournament.

One year, I got a group to join “Let the Wookie Win” (a Star Wars ref to when C3PO suggested that R2 go easy on Chewy).

I don’t remember how we did as teams, but I do remember looking forward to this competition each year!

We have parents making excellent progress on our ecourse. Some of these moms and dads didn’t know anything about chess when they embarked on this adventure.

Now they are enthusiastic about chess, eager to continue!

One father of a young girl (who just turned three), told me how his daughter sometimes resisted naps. One day he told her that if she went to sleep, when she woke up they’d have a chess lesson. Do you know that she fell asleep instantly with a smile on her face?

Other parents are reporting that they are having an incredibly bonding experience with their children. Busy moms and dads are carving out the time to spend with their kids, on a one-on-one basis and it is a special time.

We should be ready to launch our ecourse within a few months. Right now we’re still piloting and perfecting! I’ll keep you posted…

Think back to when you first learned to play chess. Did your mother or father teach you? Maybe a grandparent?

Over the years I’ve heard many wonderfully warm stories about people’s first introduction to chess. Those memories are cherished through adulthood, as chess is truly a bonding experience.

My father taught me to play when I was 9 years old. I was fascinated by the boards set up all around the living room, each displaying a different position. I was so eager to learn.

My father loved something called postal chess, where he would play people from far away exotic lands through the mail. Most of his opponents lived in Russia, so it took months for each move to arrive.

It was always an exciting day when that postcard arrived with its intriguing stamps. It held the mysterious code known only to chess players, informing my father of the next move.

I quickly fell in love with the game. When I beat my father for the first time, I quickly made the decision to try out tournaments. Although Dad was more interested in postal chess than over the board play, he joined me in my first tournament, so that I wouldn’t be alone.

Now the first thing I noticed, in that small Connecticut tournament, was that I was the only girl and the only child. A little intimidating, but Dad was there, so it was okay.

I soon became engrossed in my games, throwing myself into the battle, eager to conquer my opponent, forgetting that the odds were stacked against me. I’m not sure who was more surprised and excited, my father or I, when I won second place.

As an adult, I spent a year traveling around the country playing in tournaments. When I attended the NY Open, Dad came up on the train from Connecticut to watch me play.

After each game we would talk about the high and low points, analyzing my play, sometimes disagreeing about my strategies (especially when I chose to sacrifice a piece for a dubious attack).

Throughout my life chess has aided me in real life situations. The skill set I learned from getting good at the game gave me true advantages in life.

Not only did I learn how to think logically, but I discovered I could create successful long-term strategies and short-term tactical plans, which would give me many victories on and off the board.

To this day I see any challenge in life as simply a king on the board ready to be checkmated.

Of course most people do not get into competition play, but chess is still an amazingly adventure and wonderful bonding experience for any family. Whether you take a set on family camping trips or out to the beach or just stay home enjoying family-time after dinner there is nothing like chess for bringing a family together.

In this day and age with television and video games, wouldn’t it be wonderful to see families playing chess with one another?

And just imagine for a moment what heights our children can reach if they gain the self confidence and strategic prowess that a sound knowledge of chess offers.

Image by acpl via Flickr

Being a chess coach allows me a chance to talk to many parents around the world about how chess affects their children. I hear amazing stories from parents of children with behavioral challenges. Chess helps their kids to concentrate!

I witnessed an amazing success with one of our young students. When I started with him in one of our group classes I wasn’t sure how I would cope.

He could not sit in his seat for more than a minute. He would literally lie across his chair and drape his body across the table or just get up and disrupt the class.

Working with him in the group setting wasn’t working out. He was fast getting far behind the rest of his classmates. One day I took him aside, asking my husband to run the rest of the class and I worked with him one on one.

I had to continually direct his attention to the board and what I was teaching him. His attention would wander and I would firmly bring it back.

By the end of that class period I saw incredible improvement. He had aptitude for the game!

I was surprised to discover that he understood more than I had realized. He was actually very bright and able.

I told him that I saw this, that he was good. I let him know that I was impressed and that I expected him to learn and pay attention in class, that he could get chess and excel at it.

It wasn’t an overnight transformation, but after that class I knew that he could do it and that made a big difference.

If he acted up I would just remind him that I knew he was good at chess and then I’d get him to refocus his attention on the board. He improved rapidly and soon after he no longer disrupted the class.

Plus I could tell that he really enjoyed the classes.

I am proud to say that he sat through a tournament of ours lasting over an hour. He was very interested in each game and enjoyed himself a lot. I didn’t have to ask him to sit back in his seat once.

Chess requires a lot of imagination and creativity. The pieces only become animated when the player moves them.

There is something captivating about the game, something that draws people in and settles them down. Plus it puts the child in the driver’s seat. They are in control of those 16 pieces and 64 squares.

Parents with children with autism or Asperger’s have told me that chess made a huge difference for their children. The pride and satisfaction these children achieved were very meaningful. They could excel in chess and earn the respect of everyone around them. What an accomplishment!

We taught 20 children today. Two classes at Clearwater Academy International and Jewish Day School.

When we arrived at the Jewish Day School, I discovered we had two new students, which was a nice surprise. The other big news as that three of our returning students proudly showed us a trophy they had won over the holiday break!

Tournaments are very important in a child’s chess education. They challenge kids to strengthen their game and do better against the competition.

We plan to start our tournaments next month.  Stay tuned for more details!

We had four classes today at Delphi Academy of Florida. Each one was full and the kids were so eager to play. Now, you’d think a chess class would be calm and sedate.  HA!

Our students are so into chess that we constantly have to remind them that we’re in a library and we should keep our voices down. They cry out when they are victorious or sometimes when they have a plan they know will be triumphant.

I overhead my husband explain to one student, an 8-year-old Italian boy, that he shouldn’t give away his strategy to his opponent. The boy was so excited by his idea that he couldn’t help but tell his friend all about it.  Such enthusiasm is infectious.

We also made a trip to the preschool and spent some time with a couple of girls there. One was 2 years old and the other 3. They did very well and were attentive for the whole 20 minutes.

I am pleased to announce that our little video, which we shot last year after principal shooting for our ecourses, has had over 10,000 unique viewers.

I think this video is so popular because it proves that children can learn chess at any age.

1) Chess is for nerds:  Not so!  One of the greatest things about the sport is that it attracts people from all walks of life.  Whenever I played in tournaments I was always amazed at how a doctor would be playing a carpenter or a school teacher would be playing a plumber.  Besides would you call John Wayne, Timothy Dalton (one of our James Bonds), Bill Cosby, Tom Selleck or Will Smith a nerd?  To their face?  They all play chess, you know.  Actually the list goes on, but I think I’ve made my point.

2) Girls can’t play chess: Ahem!  Well, taking myself out of the equation, how about the three Polgar Sisters?  They have been playing for decades and are still very highly respected in the chess community, especially amongst the top players of the world.  She became the youngest player to earn the title of grandmaster at age 15, beating Bobby Fischer’s record.

3) Chess is just a game:  Sure it’s a game, but it can give you many advantages in life.  Google "Chess and Education" and you will see how much research has been done in the area.  Studies from around the world have concluded that chess makes kids smarter.  My father taught me when I was nine years old.  To this day I treat problems in life as I would over the board.  Analyze the situation, come up with various possible solutions (quickly), weed out the unrealistic ones, find the one that works best for the situation and go for it!  We can all win at life.

4) You have to be a genius to be any good:  As if!  No one is born a good chess player.  You need to learn some basic concepts and play a lot and then learn from your games.  The best way to improve is to learn to write down the moves of your game and then go over that game with someone who is more experienced.  It could be a friend or an instructor.  If you are a tournament player always take any opportunity to analyze your game with your opponent.  You both can learn a lot!

5) Chess is boring: What?  Okay, so you’re talking to someone who would routinely sacrifice her pieces to gain a tactical advantage.  I either won gloriously or well, I didn’t (we won’t talk about those games).  Seriously chess is a battle, each and every game.  Nothing boring about it!  Plus it is a very bonding experience.  I fell in love with my husband at a chess tournament almost twenty years ago and now we are teaching the next generation how to play.

The room is silent. You can literally hear the people breathing around you while you study the sixty-four checkered squares in front of you.

Glancing over at the chess clock you see you have plenty of time left in your game. A move cries out to be made, but you bide your time and check for others. You know that a move made in haste could cost your dearly.

Finally, confident that your initial idea is sound, you reach out a hand and grasp your knight, hopping it to its intended destination. There is an audible gasp from a few behind you.

You hit your clock signaling your opponent’s turn. Only then do you steal a glance at him. He meets your eyes with a look that speaks defeat. You see that he knows it is just a matter of time.

He shakes his head and stares at the hopeless position. You lean back in your chair and watch him study the board for possible flaws to your plan. There are none. It is hard to stifle the grin that threatens to spread across your face.

You glance around at your spectators. Some recognize your opponent’s fate, while others wear puzzled expressions. Two whisper to each other and finally nod their heads in understanding. One winks at you in admiration and turns to observe a game with a less determined outcome.

The fact that you are only ten years old, playing in an adult tournament, might have intimidated some, but not you. No, you know that your dedicated study and eagerness to learn the game has paid off.

You continue to improve each time you play.

Your teachers at school notice a difference, writing glowing praise home to your parents on a regular basis now. You know that you can do whatever you put your mind to do and it shows in various aspects of your life.

Your opponent shakes his head, stops the clock and reaches out his hand to you, signaling his resignation. You shake his hand, smile and offer to analyze the game with him, a ritual amongst players. He returns your smile and nods.

You know he doesn’t care about your age, because he knows your analysis will help him improve. How many activities are there where an adult would be eager to hear the thoughts of a child?

As you set up in the next room to go over the game you notice other adults have followed. They too want to hear what you have to say. There is no better feeling.

The winner of this month’s photo contest: Louis Lima and his daughter playing chess

We started a photo contest last month, which was successful.  So many great pictures were sent in!

I invite any of your to send me pictures of your children playing chess.  Also let me know if I can feature them on my blog and newsletter (and how you’d like the credit to read).

The winning pictures will get a little prize from us (for your child).

If you wish to receive our newsletters, please opt in at www.YourChessCoach.com or just contact me at Laura@YourChessCoach.com.