Shaping Your Chess Team
September 29, 2010
Tags: Teaching Chess Articles
Written by guest author Erik Czerwin for Wholesale Chess.
Every competition I attend, I see a lot of fascinating chess teams. Some teams pour over computers, chess books, and boards studying positions and famous games. Some teams engage in heated debate about curious moves. Other teams play blitz games and combat one another. Then there’s my team; some kids are playing blitz games, other kids are pestering those players and kibitzing like crazy, still others listen to music and brood in the corner with hoodies pulled over their heads. Certainly, my team is not the most studious. Of course, this only describes what we do before competition ignites. I’ve worked hard over the years to shape a specific culture on my team, and it is open, friendly, yet ferocious.
My team consists of a motley crew of kids. Each one of them has their own style and their own level of devotion to chess, and that devotion often changes at a moment’s notice. I’ve worked to create a safe, fun, flexible environment to let the kids be themselves with little to no interference from me. Finally, on our chess team, the competitive spirit develops all its own. I don’t teach it or force it because naturally, they discover their own desire to advance.
So how does a chess coach create that environment? There is no magic formula. I believe that each coach should foster the environment that best suits his or her personality. I’ve run into coaches who try to do it “the right way.” They’re always looking for new tricks or ideas. They’re always looking for someone else to tell them how to be a better coach. However, I truly believe that every coach has within him or herself the innate ability to create the team they desire.
Some coaches have a knack for creating teams that study chess constantly and love doing it. Don’t ask me how that happens; I haven’t the slightest clue. Some coaches create very talented teams despite their own lack of chess knowledge. I’ve seen them do this by setting the kids loose on the game. Chess has a way of inspiring a drive for improvement. Myself, I’m a laid-back kind of guy, but I love learning. So I teach a lot, but for the most part, I let the kids experiment. I try to avoid telling students that something is “incorrect” because if it’s really that bad, they’ll figure it out for themselves. My personal method of coaching reminds me of a great comedian’s routine about dads. He said that a mother will stop the child from putting its finger in an electric socket, but a dad will stand by and wait because once he feels that shock, he’ll never do it again.
Finally, the team must interact well. To accomplish this, every good coach needs to provide ample time for the kids to be kids. If kids constantly study and compete, they start seeing each other as enemies and chess as an obligation. Once that happens, they start holding back from the game, each other, and their own minds. However, I want them growing as individuals. One exercise that works for me is having them work together to solve puzzles. I have them, as a small group, debate their way through a complicated puzzle, and I never interrupt; it has to be their shared thinking time (shared and thinking are the keywords). Soon, they routinely share ideas on chess, girls, and life.
The trick to being good is to know each kid well enough. Know each student’s hopes, dreams, and personalities. Connect with them. Your team is a group of individual identities; handle with care.
Erik Czerwin is a self-taught chess player and also a self-taught chess coach. He founded the current Marengo Community High School Chess team, founded the Marengo Chess Club, plays at the Rockford Chess Club, and occasionally volunteers as a chess teacher at the Rockford Public Library, all in Northern Illinois. In his spare time, he’s also a full-time high school language arts teacher, part-time graduate student, part-time tutor, and full-time father of two and husband to a very understanding wife.
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.
