Chess Club Overview

General Structure

Each week, students meet with an instructor after school to dive into chess. Sessions begin with a fun puzzle, followed by a lesson, then games where kids can test their skills against classmates. At the end of the semester, students have the chance to join a championship tournament against teams from other local schools. Lessons last one hour and follow the curriculum outlined below.


Curriculum

  1. Intro to pieces + board setup

  2. Rules of Chess + Sportsmanship

  3. How to Win a Chess Game: ABCs of Checkmate

  4. Castling: Rules and Best Practices

  5. Forks, Skewers, and Pins

  6. Stalemate: What it is, how to avoid it, how to use it to your advantage

  7. How to win an endgame

  8. Intro to Pawn Structure

  9. Special moves

  10. Prizes, Free Play, Tournament Prep

“Chess is everything: art, science, and sport.”

Anatoly Karpov