News & Updates
Laura Sherman
Last week we took a minute and had some questions answered by Laura Sherman. Laura is the author for the popular chess book, Chess is Child’s Play. You can purchase a copy of this book by CLICKING HERE.
WSC: What is your chess background?
Sherman: My father taught me to play chess when I was nine years old. When I could beat him he took me to a large city about an hour away for lessons with a Russian chess master. It was very exciting. Soon after that I began playing in tournaments.
I took several breaks from active play growing up and rediscovered chess in high school, when I joined the chess club. At that time my rating put me ahead of the teachers who played, which was a confidence booster.
I left for college and got a degree in Civil Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona. I was engrossed in study and didn’t find time for chess, but when I graduated I joined a small club in Upland, CA and started studying again.
I took off some time from work to play in tournaments and study. I would play in various Open tournaments around the country. The New York Open was always my favorite. It was fun to watch the grandmasters from around the world sing at the karaoke bar at the hotel where we all stayed at the end of the day, too.
My rating reached 2000 at one point, which put me at Expert. That’s when I met my husband. He had the exact same rating as I, which I found to be romantic.
Chess has always been a part of my life, but now I focus on teaching the next generation. My goal is to get all children learning to play chess before they enter the school system, because I firmly believe that chess helps make children smarter.
WSC: What long-term benefits will kids get from playing chess?
Sherman: I’ve written many articles on this subject, because I feel very strongly that children get a lot from learning to play chess. The list of benefits goes on and on.
When asked, most parents would say children become strong problem solvers when they learn chess. Others will tell you that they become more logical in their thinking.
As a chess instructor I can tell you that I have seen a child’s ability to concentrate improve remarkably, sometimes even after a few lessons. Even children with attention problems will sometimes learn to focus and can study better in school as a result of learning chess.
I have also witnessed a remarkable boost in self-confidence amongst many children who learn to play the game early on. There is nothing better than beating a grown-up at chess when you’re a kid.
WSC: What prompted you to write this book?
Sherman: When I was a teenager I had a dream of teaching the world to play chess. I could see gang members sitting down across a board to “fight” rather than resorting to violence.
This basic goal never diminished over the years, but the purpose changed slightly. When my son turned four I started teaching him to play chess on the beach. I wasn’t sure how it would go or how successful I would be, but when he learned the game quickly and easily I realized I was on to something.
I then worked on my techniques, improving them with his classmates and friends. I even went into the preschool to teach the two- and three-year-olds. I fine-tuned my methods, working with Bill Kilpatrick, my co-author, to create a workable strategy that anyone could follow.
It was important to Bill and me to make the book accessible to everyone, even parents who didn’t know how to play chess (or who were intimidated to learn). However we also wanted to appeal to the experienced player. In the end I believe we accomplished these goals.
WSC: Why did you choose this particular format/style?
Sherman: I’m glad you asked that question, because we spent a lot of time with formatting and style. The layout is very “user friendly,” incorporating the use of large diagrams. We also feature “Coffee Talk,” which highlights fun and humorous stories told to us by parents and “Coach’s Corner,” which shares important tips on how to conduct a lesson.
We make sure to define all the terms that might be new to a parent unfamiliar with the game, giving them guidance in how to explain the words to a young child.
Chess Is Child’s Play also has a troubleshooting section at the end of each chapter, giving the parents additional tools to use if they run into trouble.
We were careful to format the book so that someone new to chess would feel comfortable with the text and diagrams. Most chess books have very small diagrams that are hard for beginners to read and understand. We wanted to avoid that.
WSC: How did you choose the photographs and why?
Sherman: Kristy Mann, a Los Angeles based photographer, conducted several photo shoots, capturing fun, artistic shots of children playing chess. These are featured at the start of each chapter.
WSC: Will this book help coaches and/or parents and how?
Sherman: Chess Is Child’s Play is very different from other chess instruction books. Anyone can apply these techniques, whether they are an experienced player or completely new to the game.
We have broken down the basics into very easy, step by step techniques. To give you an idea, the chapter “The Rook,” which simply goes over how the rook moves, is 11 pages long.
The Rook has seven steps, with four “mini-games” (exercises designed to teach a certain skill to the child). At the end of the chapter there is a detailed Trouble Shooting guide which answers questions such as, “When I ask my child to move the rook, he only moves it one square at a time. What should I do?”
Chess Is Child’s Play will teach a coach or parent to teach a young child the basics of chess, in a way where the child will win with each exercise, mastering an important skill.
WSC: The trailer is really cute. How did you come upon that idea to market the book and how was it made?
Sherman: Our publisher, Mongoose Press, suggested that we create an animated trailer. They asked me to write the script, which was incredibly fun! They found an amazing animator who breathed life into my words.
I would invite people to embed the trailer in their blog or on their sites, if they like it. We’re hoping to spread the message that anyone can learn to play chess, regardless of their age!
The Cover for Chess Is Child's Play
This article was written by P.N. John for Wholesale Chess
Once the child has reached a FIDE rating level of 1500-1800 the right attitude towards effective study and practice are needed for further progress to mastery. The fun element has to be given top priority so that the child develops a passion to win at chess and acquires a learning mindset. World chess champion Viswanathan Anand said recently, “I enjoy working on chess. I try playing different openings, learning from other players. My curiosity in chess has remained unchanged since the time I started playing.”
It is very important to have drills to practice repeatedly the fundamental chess concepts-basic tactics, (WSC note: see Chess Tactics for Students) must-know endgame positions, various basic mates etc. This should be done daily with a chess clock attempting to solve within lower and lower time periods so that correct technique comes naturally and automatically over-the-board while playing. This can be done under the guidance of a good chess coach but the child should do it on his own as soon as he can do so. Only with this basic foundation can the child proceed to creative and more advanced chess.
Victor Korchnoi, a great Grandmaster has said, “Chess you don’t learn, chess you understand”. From this stems the most important tool available to the child to attain mastery- critically analyze by himself the games he has played to identify and learn from mistakes made. More time should be spent on games lost. When the coach goes through the games and analysis afterwards he can give the feedback needed to improve and identify the weaknesses and strengths of the child and suggest specifically what to study and which chess problems to solve. It is good for the child to have a large collection of chess books and chess software to refer to as suggested by the coach to overcome weaknesses and enhance strengths. Analysis with Fritz, Rybka should be done later to understand and learn from opportunities humans missed.
The child should go through as many Grandmaster games as possible using different approaches suggested by chess trainers-slowly, quickly, guess-the-move, analyze the moves before looking at the annotations etc., to get diverse benefits and enhance overall understanding of the game of chess so that he can play better and improve the quality of annotating his own games.
It is a good idea to start off with a good games collection book like Steve Giddins’ “50 ways to Win at Chess” which is focused on good technique. Going through Grandmaster games like Chessbase 11 or Chess Assistant 11 alone, with friends or a coach is a great way to absorb different ideas in chess.
A child should be encouraged, if he enjoys it, to record his thoughts on his improving chess experiences in a journal every day. Also, special notebooks can be kept to classify and then record important tactical and positional themes from his own games .Writing speeds up absorption of chess ideas and periodically reviewing the notes will help the child to apply the knowledge over-the-board.
Apart from serious chess study the child should play with chess players of varying strengths under different time-controls but mostly slow chess games of at least an hour each. As far as possible games should be analyzed with the opponent immediately or at least the same day itself on his own as immediate feedback is very important for improvement.
More than just chess skills are needed to attain mastery. Physical and mental fitness are important for success in tournaments. This idea was well put by Anatoly Karpov, the former world champion, “To be champion requires more than simply being a strong player; one has to be a strong human being as well.” So it is important to have a balanced approach. Academics should not be ignored. The child should be encouraged to take up other interests like physical sports and reading. He should learn to take losses in his stride even as he strives to improve and win. The goal should be to improve at chess at least a bit each day.
P.N.John lives in India and has been totally involved in the stock market for past 25 years. He used to play chess only casually but for the past couple of years he has been studying chess seriously, played several tournaments and got his FIDE rating. Not surprisingly perhaps, improved chess thinking skills have helped him to take better decisions in the stock market.
This Thursday only, get a beautiful set of American Staunton Wood Chess Pieces with a 3 ¾ inch king in Sheesham. It’s not only a striking chess set, but is a bargain for the price. You can save $21 of the retail price of $59.99 Thursday Deal: Only $38.99!
You can also get the great chess book “Fearsome Four Pawns Attack” by Jerry Konikowski is one of the most prolific chess authors in the world and holds the FIDE title of Master. The retail price of this chess book is $24.95. Today only you can it for the unheard of price of just $8.99
Go to the home page and click on the link to get either—or both—of today’s chess deals.
This article, written by the manager of Wholesale Chess, was first published in The Link Homeschool Publications (Copyright, 2009). Reprinted by permission.
You see the benefits of chess and want to teach them to a child. You don’t have to be afraid of not knowing what to do or how to play. There are plenty of resources to help you.
“Remember that you are passing on a wonderful gift to them,” Mrs. Graham, manager of Wholesale Chess said. “Learn or renew your skills right along with them. Make sure you use care, patience and respect while teaching. Also, try to be interesting! Use humor, funny voices, cartwheels — whatever it takes to make your chess students pay attention and have a good time.”
Mrs. Graham suggests each child have their own chess set. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Most students use a roll-up vinyl board, plastic chess pieces, either weighted or not, and an inexpensive chess bag for chess pieces to be carried in.
“Wholesale Chess has a very basic chess curriculum that we recommend to work with beginners,” she said. Only move to the next step when you know your child has a real understanding of what you have already taught.
- How the pieces move and how to setup the board
- How to capture pieces
- Check and checkmate
- More advanced rules of castling, en passant, and pawn promotion
- The values of the pieces and making good captures and trades
- Developing your pieces and controlling the center
- Using multiple pieces to attack and defend
- Basic tactics – forks and pins
- Basic strategies – controlling squares, diagonals, and files
- Basic opening principles – control key squares, activate your pieces, get your king to safety
To be a good chess parent, teacher or chess coach you must be sure to get plenty of feedback from the student, Mrs. Graham said. “Make sure you know how your children feel about chess. If they are feeling burned out, then pressuring them may just turn them off more. If they are hungry for chess and you are not feeding that, they may become frustrated.
“If you have a child who enjoys learning and playing chess, you should encourage that as much as is healthy,” she said. “Chess has great social and intellectual benefits that can affect other aspects of life, but remember that chess is a part of life, not the purpose of life. I suggest chess parents watch or read Searching for Bobby Fischer with their child. “It is a great story. We also recommend the book, Survival Guide for Chess Parents.
“Another important thing, perhaps the most important, is to always make sure that your child knows how much you love them regardless of whether they are winning or losing their chess games,” she added. “Never show disappointment at their performance — they are most likely frustrated enough on their own!”
“Chess will certainly grow in the future,” she said. “Players will have to be more accurate in play, as chess computers and training becomes more and more available. But most of us hope that the essence and fun of the game doesn’t change at all!”
WSC Note: Our Book Category has a selection of books designed for parents or chess coaches to use as well as books for children who are beginnnig to play chess to read.
The always popular Thursday Chess Deals from Wholesale Chess will begin again today, January 6. (The deals have been on hold through the holiday season.)
We know you have been anxious for us to start these up again. Although you will never know ahead what the deals will be, you will always get a true bargain.
Some of the items offered at huge savings last year included Fritz 12, several types of chess clocks, tournament chess sets, wood chess sets, chess pieces and chess boards, chess software and chess books, and chess tournament supplies. These same types of great chess items will be available this year. Although Chess Deals will change from week to week, the savings will always be significant.
These deals are available only for orders placed online on that Thursday. (12:00 am to 11:59 pm Pacific Time). Each customer may only buy one of each deal, but can buy both deals for that day. In order to only send notification to those who want it, you must sign up for the emails of the Thursday Chess Deals. You can do that in our free membership. You can also find the deals on our homepage each Thursday at www.wholesalechess.com
This article, written by the manager of Wholesale Chess, was first published in The Link Homeschool Publications (Copyright, 2009). Reprinted by permission.
With all the technology out there, it is a bit ironic that Chess, arguably one of the oldest games in the world, is still leaps and bounds ahead of today’s 
electronic games in helping youth improve their cognitive skills and learn real lessons about life, according to Lyndia Graham, manager of Wholesale Chess.
“Chess not only teaches children critical analytical skills, but it teaches them about choices–that each action is followed by a natural—but very real–consequence and that each of those choices must be carefully considered” she said. “Chess can help the IQ, memory, pattern recognition, analytical skills, overall comprehension, as well as develop patience.”
“It is an ideal game to use in a home, school or home-school setting because the implications of choice and consequence can be casually discussed and reinforced in a positive, but fun setting,” she said. “Bad choices — or chess moves — have immediate consequences and will impact the rest of your game — or the rest of your life. There are rules of play that must be followed, or the end result is not what you want. It’s an age-old lesson as relevant today as when chess first began.”
Nobody really knows just how old the game of chess is. However, Mrs. Graham said, some experts claim that chess is more than 2,000 years old. Some evidence suggests that chess, in its earliest form, was played in India in the 6th century AD and from there spread around the world. Of course, over the years, the pieces and rules changed somewhat. In the 15th century, chess began to more closely resemble the game we now play, she added. But chess really started taking off in the 1800′s when tournaments, chess pieces, chess clocks, championships, and titles like Grandmaster were introduced.
Chess is now thought to be the most popular game in the world and growing especially fast among children, as schools and parents recognize the social and intellectual benefits associated with the game. There are hundreds of millions of players in thousands of clubs around the planet. Women and girls are learning chess in record numbers. Younger and younger players are achieving Grandmaster status and a few are not even teenagers yet, she said.
The overall skill level of chess players is also increasing because of the Internet and computers. Players are able to play a game at any time online and can use chess computers to help them train and learn. There are huge numbers of software programs, some that even pit a player against famous grandmaster games. There are also many hand-held computer games for chess that give those die-hard electronic users a chance to have chess on–the-go without the need of a partner.
Part Two, hints on teaching children chess, will publish next week.
Okay, admit it. You procrastinated–or worse, you forgot someone! Now you wonder what to do about that last minute chess gift.
Wholesale Chess Gift Cards are the best answer. They will be delivered to your email before Christmas so you can print them out so no one will know you were late with their gift. They can be used for any chess set, chess clock, chess computer, chess board, or chess pieces on our site. They can even be used for chess software or chess books. The possibilities are almost endless.
Best of all—our $25 gift card is on sale! Thursday only you can get a $25 gift card for just $20. Go to our Chess Gift Card section and choose the $25 card, or a gift in any other amount. We will make sure it is sent to you by midnight Thursday night. (Gift Cards will NOT go out after 10 am Mountain Time on Friday.) Happy Holidays!
by Guest Author Greg Delaney
Over the past few years, I have come to appreciate the efforts made by the English Grandmaster Nigel Davis to help club players grow in chess understanding and strength. Davies is the featured presenter on a fair number of Chessbase Software ranging from opening theory (“The Closed Sicilian” and The Scotch Game”) to psychology (“Chess for Scoundrels” and “How to Beat Younger Players”) to strategy (“French Defense Strategy”).GM Davies is an articulate and well-prepared instructor via this medium, and I have purchased a number of these Fritz Trainers for those reasons.
But for me Davies’ skills and insights stand out even more clearly in the books he authors. In the past two years, GM Davies has produced two excellent books for club players: “The Rules of Winning Chess” (2009) and “Ten Great Ways to Get Better at Chess.” (2010)
These two volumes (published by Everyman Chess) are a treasure trove of improvement ideas and 
well-stated axioms of chess, suitable for most everyone except perhaps a rank beginner. What Davies does so exceptionally well in these books is to provide clear, concrete examples of each and every idea. Full games, fragments, and very readable prose both edify and entertain. In “The Rules of Winning Chess,” no less than fifty “rules” are presented to the reader. Some of the “rules” are Davies’ take on very familiar chess principles while others are rather unique presentations of psychological factors as well as tactical and strategic ideas. Games and game fragments abound, as do anecdotes about Davies’ own career and the lives of famous Grandmasters. No part of the game of chess is left out – the “rules” are placed into five Chapters covering the following topical areas: “The Player,” “Preparation,” “The Opening,” “The Middlegame,” and “The Endgame.” There is truly “something for everyone” in this book.
“Ten Great Ways to Get Better at Chess” is GM Davies’ most recent book, and I find it to be even more interesting and relevant to me than “The Rules of Winning Chess.” Each of the ten suggestions are thoroughly explained and illustrated by well-annotated games. Davies is one author who describes what’s going on with a minimum of variations and no Informator symbols. His explanations are readily understood and, as always, well illustrated by games and anecdotes. A very interesting feature of the book is the inclusion of “before and after” games played by Davies’ own students, once they had learned more about one particular “way” of getting better. Differences between the games help the reader “see” the concepts put into action. GM Davies includes some of his own games, as well, to show that he not only preaches but follows his own suggestions.
I was pleasantly surprised by the nature of the 60 total ideas offered in these two books. Many are novel ideas that are simply common sense once the reader has assimilated them. Because of the sheer number of suggestions made, the reader may select those which fit his/her needs and interests. I should mention, however, that a reader who thinks these two books contain easy ideas that require no work on their parts will be very unhappy. Chess is hard work, and GM Davies pulls no punches in stressing this. Like all good ideas, the material in these two books requires active implementation and practice – key ingredients to chess improvement.
Greg Delaney is Life Member of USCF who returned to chess in 2005 after a three decade hiatus from the game he loves. He is an educator, club player, and student of IM Yelena Dembo. For fun, he blogs about chess and his work to improve as a player.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of Wholesale Chess. We welcome open discussion on all aspects of chess on the Wholesale Chess Blog. If you would like to be a guest author on our blog, please contact us at marketing@wholesalechess.com.
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