Chess is a game where growth and improvement can be so inconsistent. Over your chess journey you’ll have stretches where you struggle with an idea, fast learning ah-ha moments, and slow gradual growth. That’s just the name of the game. Today we talk about the plateaus, and how we help our students overcome them. Include […]
22
Jun
Jun
Chess is a complex and intellectually demanding and satisfying sport. It requires strategic thinking, pattern recognition, unwavering focus, and a good attitude. Practice makes perfect is a great mantra for chess, but it’s a bit incomplete. It’s not just any old practice we’re interested in. Your practice needs to be well thought out. The guidance […]
19
Apr
Apr
Being successful in your learning of chess, or anything for that matter, relies a lot on how much fun you’re having. You need to keep yourself engaged long enough to build those learning habits that will drive your success. There are a ton of things to learn in chess, and no shortage of concepts to […]
17
Dec
Dec
A common thread for beginners learning chess is to ‘forget’ about their rook. The rook is a difficult piece to develop at the beginning of a game, and its position makes it easy to forget until the later stages of the game. Keeping your rook in mind, and understanding its role will help you utilize […]
17
Nov
Nov
Chess is more than just a fantastic hobby. If you’re passionate about the game, it doesn’t just end there. It might seem like a career in chess is far-fetched, but with the popularity of chess only growing, developing your career around chess is quite viable. There are a few great opportunities to ingrain yourself in […]
01
Nov
Nov
When our students take their first steps into chess, the pawns are often the last things on their minds. The real power and bravado comes from higher value pieces. The drama of developing your queen or rook is so much more exciting than a strong pawn structure. The pawns are often moved just to make […]
18
Oct
Oct
Nothing is more frustrating than sitting down for a game of chess and realizing a few turns in that you’ve started on the wrong foot. One way to avoid this is memorizing chess openings. Once you have a full arsenal of openings, you can easily rely on these to make sure you start strong. But […]
03
Oct
Oct
Being such a central tenet of the game, strategies for protecting one’s King are too often skipped over by novice players. In our belief, chess basics start with King protection. Let us introduce you to a few key strategies that will keep your King in a safe position for as long as possible. Protect […]
19
Sep
Sep
Polishing up your openings in chess is simple, as you find yourself in (nearly) the exact same position every game. However when it comes to the endgame, you often find yourself in wildly different situations – especially if the game went off book, which they so often tend to do! When it comes to mastering […]
02
Sep
Sep
Chess is a complicated game, and it takes many years to master. As a beginner, it’s important not to worry about mastering it, but rather focus on honing a few key skills. We’ve isolated a few important chess tips that we believe will give you the greatest improvement over the first leg of the chess […]