What do I Teach my Chess Team?, Part 2
August 25, 2010
Tags: Teaching Chess Articles
Part 2: Notation and Game Strategy
Written by guest author Erik Czerwin for Wholesale Chess.
Basic Endgames
Next, I teach basic endgames. This seems an abnormal place to begin, but it is critical to begin here. I begin with a three-move rook mate (king v king & rook) to demonstrate the concept of stealing space. Once students grasp that a checkmate is stealing an opponent’s space, they are then ready to begin studying the rest of the game. Of course, this is also the point when I demonstrate draws and stalemates.
Notation
Then I teach notation. This seems an odd point to teach notation, but this is the point when all moves have been learned, including the unusual ones like castling, en passant, check, and checkmate. This becomes a critical lesson, and I make sure that each student masters notation before moving on. Without records of their own games, students will never progress.
Basic Middlegames
At this point, I teach a few basic lessons about middle games, progressing backwards. I start with the five options for defending an attack: moving away, blocking, capturing the attacker, defending the piece, and counterattack. I don’t delve deeply; I only explain each option. Then I teach the tactics: forks, pins, skewers, discoveries, and removing the defender.
Basic Opening Concepts
Only after study of the middlegame do I finally get to opening concepts. It produces some very awkward practice games, but students are always focused on the end result of their moves instead of focusing on gaining short-term advantages. When I teach openings, I don’t really teach opening books, I only teach opening concepts. Books and lines are for later. I teach students to start in the center and to develop, develop, develop. Those two concepts are the core of most successful opening lines, anyway. Later, when they study opening lines, they’ll still be focused on the ideas behind them rather than rote memorization.
Additional Strategy & Concepts
After all this, I teach pawn structures, weak squares, and outposts. We spend a lot of time analyzing how the pawns create a different board. As students learn about different pawn structures, we’re always focused on how each piece’s movement is affected. We constantly discuss how the strengths and weaknesses of various chess pieces change with each new pawn arrangement.
Teaching Chess: Practice!
Finally, the key in teaching all chess, no matter your approach, is to practice what has been learned before moving on. With each chess lesson, I have a set pattern that has been very effective for me. I begin by teaching a concept, then I have students practice using some sort of contrived activity, then we look at examples from our database, and finally, I have them play practice games while incorporating the new concept into their game. This usually takes 2-4 practice sessions to accomplish, so the entire process takes about a full academic year.
Granted, this is a slow method resulting in slow individual development, but students learn deeply the heart of the game. Their love for the game grows as they add layer upon layer of knowledge. Beginning with the chess board means that the board itself becomes a home for them, a location of zealous thought, profound emotion, and open acceptance. My alumni continue playing for the rest of their lives. Some players give up after 4 years because they can’t “figure out” the game. It’s up to you which methods you choose, just be sure that before you begin, you know what it is you really want to teach.
This is Part Two of What do I Teach my Chess Team. You should start by reading Part 1: Basic Concepts: Boards and Pieces.
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.
