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Originally posted on 19 May, 2019 Yesterday Nimble Minds Chess Team participated in the annual Bahamas Chess Federation Scholastic Chess Team competition. The Tournament comprised of several age sections, i.e. Under 10, Under 12, Under 14 and Under 18. Nimble Minds Team played in the Under 18 Section. The Under 18 Section comprised of the following teams: Queens College (Teams A and B); CR Walker High School; Kingsway Academy High School and Nimble Minds Chess Team. Each team was comprised of four players, boys, girls or mixed boys and girls teams. Two girls qualified to play on Nimble Minds Chess Team, Boards 2 and 4, but one of them opted out of the competition weeks ago. The tournament followed a round robin format with a time control of Game in 10 minutes (G10). This meant that each player was given 10 minutes on their chess clock to make all of their moves. The venue of the tournament was Tambearly School, Sandyport. Nimble Minds played four matches and had one bye which allowed the team to relax during round 4. Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo After five rounds of chess play and many exciting games, Nimble Minds Chess Team completed the tournament in high spirits. After the tournament Nimble Minds Team members said that they enjoyed the tournament and the competition. For their efforts and results the team finished second place in the Under 18 Section. Additionally, a special mention is given to the Board 1 player of Nimble Minds Chess Team who won all four of his games. All is well that ends well! Queens College Chess Team earned first place in the Under 18 Section. Our student players now return to preparing for end of term and national exams and assessments. We wish them all the best during their preparations and assessments reminding them that like chess, exam results are better when you prepare for them. Nimble Minds next chess event is scheduled for the third week in June. A chess exhibition and invitational tournament is being organised. If you are interested in your student chess players or members of your school chess clubs participating then email us at kean@nimblemindschess.org . We look forward to hearing from you.
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Original posted on 18 September, 2018
"Summer slide" is the tendency for students especially those from low-income families, to lose some of their achievement gains they made during the previous school year (Summer Slide and the Importance of Reading over the Summer [Online]. Available at: https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/summerslide [Accessed at: 19 August, 2018]. Simply put it means that students tend to lose skills e.g. reading and math, over the summer if they are not involved in activities that uses them. This is one of the reasons that we at Nimble Minds started offering chess instruction and play over the summer months. Photo* We offered chess classes for children new to chess and ongoing classes for a group we have been working with since July, 2018. Our focus was to teach chess in a fun filled environment that allowed the children to socialise and problem solve. This approach was seasoned with a steady introduction to the rules of chess which helped players to be more thoughtful. For example, I had two very energetic 8 year old boys who loved playing with the pieces and pawns on the chessboard while their game was in progress. So at the appropriate time I informed the class of the "touch play" rule and how it works during a game. Players quickly understood the rule and was willing to enforce it against offending players. Simply put the rule is that if you touch one of your picees or pawns then you are obligated to play it. Furthermore, if you touch one of your opponents pieces or pawns then you are obligated to capture it if possible. Needless to say that the two energetic 8 year olds has since stopped playing with the pieces on the board and further developed a greater appreciation for the consequences of their actions. Photo* Chess is a very flexible game and has many parallels to school. For example, during school hours students with well developed learning skills are more likely to excel. These learning skills can be developed during structured chess classes. Some learning skills are concentration, mental calculation, analysis, critical thinking and problem solving. Furthermore, because of the nature of the game of chess students develop patience and how to be objective. Additionally, like most exams in school, chess requires students to sit and concentrate for extended periods. While this can be challenging for some children, chess helps them to develop their capacity to do so. Posted 20 July, 2018
This Tips for Parents article is from a seminar hosted by Ronen Har-Zvi, who provides advice on guiding a child who is interested in chess.
First step : Your young kid really likes to play chess. Play with him whenever he likes to. Suggest buying books that might improve his chess. Many young kids will simply enjoy playing, moving the pieces, and won’t like to put any effort into reading books. You can maybe suggest some entertaining chess software. The best one I could think of would be ”Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster“. Do not ever push your kid to do more chess than he would like to do. To be truly successful and to enjoy the game, the passion, love, and desire to play and practice should come first of all from the child. Only then it would be the parent’s job to do the best he can to assist him, not the other way. Next step : Your kid is very passionate about chess and likes to do more than just play chess at home. Look for a possible chess club in his school and other chess kids in his school or area that he can play with. In many of the school chess clubs there will be an instructor for the group. That can be a great first step into having your kid learn chess in an organized way. There are also school competitions, so your kid might get to play his first tournament games this way. Also you can look for chess tournaments for kids in your area. At this stage your kid is still unrated and should start playing those tournaments at the very beginner level. Next step: Your kid shows great passion beyond the levels already discussed and beats most of the other kids. This would possibly be the right moment to take his chess to the next level. Look for a chess club in your area where your kid can play and see games. Most of the players in such a club would be adults, but there should be no barriers and no reason why a 7 year old 50-60 pound kid could not beat an adult (at his chess level) many times his age and weight. A chess club would also be the the right spot to look for a chess coach for your kid, whether it would mean joining a group or taking one on one classes. The importance of choosing the right coach can not be emphasized enough. Your young child’s chess coach should not only teach your kid some chess moves, his job is far greater than that. He should prepare and give your kid the right tools to study chess the right way, to compete in the best possible way, yet with enough respect and honor for both the opponent and the game itself. The connection between the student and his coach is critical. Both of them should enjoy coming to the class. This has to be a two way street, not one way. Playing tournaments is incredibly important for young kids. There is no better way for them to learn than from their own games. Giving your kid the possibility to play enough tournaments is very important, clearly starting from local tournaments and moving to bigger tournaments as your kid’s level improves. What now? Well, you have given your kid all that you could by this stage, from the first interest in the game to playing tournaments and practicing with a coach, whether in a group or privately. What more can you do? Well, not really that much. Some kids will lose the passion and interest in the game. They will find more interesting things to do. This is natural, as it happens in every field. Fighting it would not be right. Some kids will improve and keep improving, and as a parent all you have to do is to give them the opportunity to play in more tournaments, practice more, and support them before and during the tournaments. I have been asked again and again what I remember from my parents’ involvement in my chess. Well, my mother’s heart and thoughts being with me in every tournament I played. Whether it was 2 miles from my home or thousands of miles away, I was lucky enough to have my father with me in most of the tournaments I played. What do I remember about this? Well, him being in the crowd, with bananas, granola bars, mineral water, and all the support and confidence in me that one could ask for. I do not know of any better way a chess parent can help his kid than the way my parents helped me. Source: Davidson Institute http://www.davidsongifted.org 5/3/2021 0 Comments SUMMER CHESS CLASSES 2018There are some parents who believe that introducing their children to non-traditional activities is valuable. If you are one of those parents then this if for you!
*Photo Join us on Saturdays beginning 30 June, 2018 for beginner's chess instruction as we develop and improve key learning skills like mental calculation, concentration, problem solving, critical thinking, patience and help build self confidence. Contact us at kean@nimblemindschess.org or by Whatsapp at 558-3538 for additional information. Photo* Photo*
On Saturday 19 May, 2018 a group of our student players participated in the Scholastic Chess Team Championship 2018 which was organised by The Bahamas Chess Federation. The event was held at Tambearly School located at the entrance of West Ridge Estates off West Bay Street. The event was divided into two sections, High School and Primary School. Some schools entered multiple teams in the competition. Queen's College entered 3 teams in the High School section and Tambearly entered a total 7 teams in the tournament. Our team played in the Primary School section and comprised five players (one reserve player). The event was organised as a 5 round swiss with Game in 20 minutes. The tournament was an ideal opportunity for our student players to experience chess competition in a fun environment with many opportunities to play opponents of the same age or similar skill level. As a result of the late start the organisers only allowed teams to play 4 rounds. This did not impact the outcome, however, because there was already a clear winner after the 4 rounds of play. Photo* By the smiles on the faces of our team members in the photo above, I believe that they enjoyed their first team chess tournament. I extend my congratulations to all the student players of our team and a special thanks to their parents who sat through 6 hours of scholastic chess. 5/3/2021 0 Comments Game of chess and its historyOriginally Publish 31 March, 2018
"Chess originated in India, where its early form in the 6th century was chaturanga, which translates as "four divisions of the military" – infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots, represented respectively by pawn, knight, bishop, and rook. In Persia, around 600AD, the name became shatranj and the rules were developed further. Shatranj was taken up by the Muslim world after the Islamic conquest of Persia, with the pieces largely retaining their Persian names. In Spanish "shatranj" was rendered as ajedrez and in Greek as zatrikion, but in the rest of Europe it was replaced by versions of the Persian shah ("king"). The game reached Western Europe and Russia, from the 9th century and by the year 1000 it had spread throughout Europe. Around 1200, rules of shatranj started to be modified in southern Europe, and about 1475 several major changes rendered the game essentially as it is today. The oldest preserved printed chess book, Repeticion de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez (Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess) by Spanish churchman Luis Ramirez de Lucena was published in Salamanca in 1497. By the eighteenth century the center of European chess life had moved from the Southern European countries to France. Centres of chess life were the coffee houses of the large European cities like Café de la Regence in Paris and Simpson's Divan in London. As the nineteenth century progressed, chess organisation developed quickly. Many chess clubs, chess books and chess journals appeared." - World Chess Federation. (2009, 8 April). Game of Chess and its History [Article] - Retrived from https://www.fide.com/fide/fide-world-chess-federation.html Originally published 29 March, 2018
Unlike other sports or activities, Chess requires modest equipment. At the minimum beginners should be prepared to acquire the following chess equipment: 1. A set of solid plastic World Chess Federation regulation chess pieces and pawns; 2. A standard chessboard with letters and numbers; and 3. A scholastic scorebook. Chess pieces and pawns These plastic pieces and pawns are durable and well suited for the rough handling which are meted out by beginners. These pieces and pawns should be Staunton in style and tournament regulated size as specified by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) Rules. It is unlikely that these tournament regulated size pieces and pawns will be sold in toy stores. It is better to contact a chess instructor or your country's chess federation for a recommendation on where you can purchase the appropriate chess pieces and pawns. Chessboard The appropriate chessboard for your chess pieces and pawns depends on the size of the base of the King. Manufactures of chess pieces and pawns would sell or recommend the appropriate chessboard for the chess pieces and pawns. Confirm that the chessboard you are about to purchase is suitable for the chess pieces and pawns. If the chess pieces and pawns, and chessboard are not tournament regulation size then your student chess player may not be able to use them in a chess competition. Having chessboard with factory printed coordinates (letters and numbers) are ideal because these letters and numbers are used by instructors during chess classes. They are aslo used during chess competitions and the study of chess. Scholastic Scorebook The scorebook is not necessary during the early chess lessons but will soon be required. The scorebook allows the student chess player to record his/her moves and those of his/her opponents. In competitions, recording chess games form the official record of the game and is a requirement in tournaments with standard time controls. Recorded games can be used by players and tournament Arbiters to resolve disputes arising during chess games. Additionally, recorded games are used by chess instructors to assess students level of play and grasp of material covered during instruction. Furthermore, players use their record of games to review their games and learn from their mistakes and to glean ideas from their opponents. The line spacing of these scholastic scorebooks are wider so as to accommodate student players who may need additional space to write and record their moves. You can appreciate that a golf student needs a set of golf clubs and a tennis student needs a tennis racquet and balls. Just like the golf and tennis student, a chess student needs a Chess Set (Chess pieces and pawns, and Chessboard) and a Scorebook. Chess equipment is necessary for chess instruction so ensure that you are purchasing equipment that is suitable for your student players needs. Originally published 17 March, 2018
I believe that it is generally accepted that playing chess helps develop learning skills in school aged children (see my Blog on this website dated 3 March, 2018). But having reached that conclusion some parents and teachers may not know what to consider when selecting a chess instructor for their child, children or students. This article is meant to provide three easy steps to follow when choosing a chess instructor for budding student chess players. Step 1. Contact the Chess Federation or search the Chess Federation's website for a list of chess instructors. Chess is widely organised internationally and regardless of which country you live in, there is likely a chess governing body. Contacting this governing body and requesting a list of chess instructors who are registered with the domestic chess federation and/or the World Chess Federation should provide you with a list of potential chess instructors. You should ask for instructors who specialise in teaching chess to school age children. Step 2. Contact instructors from the list of chess instructors with the aim of recruiting the most suitable instructor for your child, children or students. When you make contact with the chess instructor, ask him/her to answer or explain the following:
Step 3. References. Now that you are at Step 3, you can begin to develop a short list of instructors. Request the short listed instructors to provide you with names of two or three referees who can confirm their expertise and character. A brief conversation with two or three referees should assist you with determining whether the chess instructor is for you. You should also aim to vet the instructor further to ensure that the chosen instructor does not have a criminal record and that your child, children or students are safe with them. So in summary, if you are seeking a chess instructor for your child, children or students you should make inquiries with the domestic chess governing body, contact the instructors, speak with the instructor's chosen referees and attend a chess class to help with your selection process. It is my belief that successful instructors are able to keep beginners engaged and create a learning environment that is fun. Originally published by Kean Smith on 4 March, 2018
Below are three reasons why your school age children should be taking chess lessons:
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AuthorKean Smith is a qualified FIDE National Chess Instructor and former member of FIDE's Chess in School Commission. Archives
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