Upcoming tournament(s) For intermediate scholastic players, our next  rated tournament  is this Sunday afternoon, beginning 1:30 PM.   Signup deadline is tomorrow noon , I'm extending the deadline a bit as I usually send a reminder earlier.  Current entries (5 players at the moment) are listed on the  tournaments page ; due to an odd Google sheets quirk the full list of participants will not be shown if browsing on a mobile device.   To encourage beginning players, I award gold or silver medals to all participants.  There will be an opportunity for parents to take photos after the event.  This will be the first tournament with 4 rounds; I estimate the event ends at 3:40 PM but this depends on gameplay.  I do realize it is Superbowl Sunday :). Next month's rated club tournament will tentatively be March 12th Sunday at 1:30 PM.  Tournament format will again be 4 SS G/15 (4 rounds, 15 minutes for both players to make their moves in a game, winners play winners and losers play lose

 Occasionally, a parent will send me an email asking when their child who knows how to play chess should start playing in a rated tournament.  Here is some general feedback I usually send; I'll update this blog post when warranted.  I'll use the designation scholastic player or player instead of child for the remainder of post; this means a chess player between ages of Kindergarten and grade 12. Suggestions for parents considering whether to register their scholastic player for a tournament: If the player is currently learning from a chess coach/club, I would ask the coach to give feedback as to whether the player is ready. All that is required to participate in a rated chess tournament is an active USCF member ID.  Everyone starts somewhere :) How is the player's temperament in regards to winning and losing in chess games?  Will the player get very upset and be discouraged from future participation if losing all the games in a tournament?  If the answer is yes, then practi

  January is almost over, it's hard to believe that we are already well into 2023.  Today's newsletter has updates about our tournaments, and what the players are dong in the beginner and intermediate classes.   Best regards, Terry www.wayoftheboard.org   Past and upcoming tournaments At our January 15th tournament we had 8 players competing with 3 visitors.  It was a fun event, with players ranging from 1st to 7th grade competing.   Players think of the game as competing against an opponent, which is true, but it is also a competition against yourself.  During a tournament, they have to concentrate, practice time management and problem solving, and be prepared to play another game with a positive mindset even if they had a loss previously.  Competing in a rated tournament is an opportunity to think under duress, which not easily replicated in a casual environment.  So even if they lose they win, as they are learning valuable life skills.  At the same time losing can be tough,

  Hello all, happy Thursday.  I hope your kids had a good transition back to school, and enjoyed the warm weather we had last weekend. As mentioned in December, I'm moving away from sending a newsletter every weekend, expect no more than 2 (or possibly 3) a month. Best regards, Terry www.wayoftheboard.org   Upcoming tournament(s) For intermediate scholastic players, our next  rated tournament  is this Sunday afternoon, beginning 1:30 PM.   Signup deadline is tonight , although I sometimes extend it by a day or so.  Parents tend to register right before the deadline, so consider signing up today if your child/children are interested as seating is limited.  Current entries (6 players at the moment) are listed on the  tournaments page ; due to an odd Google sheets quirk the full list of participants may not be shown if browsing on a mobile device.   To encourage beginning players, I award gold or silver medals to all participants.  There will be an opportunity for parents to take phot

Hello everyone, my best wishes for the New Year, for you and your family!  I hope there was time to step away and relax with family and friends, as we look forward to 2023. To check if there is a future class cancellation, parents can check  calendar.wayoftheboard.org .   Best regards, Terry www.wayoftheboard.org   Beginner and intermediate program registration For the beginner (Saturdays 11 AM) and intermediate (Saturday's 12 PM) chess programs, families should  register , and then submit payment via  website .   Payment is auto-charged monthly via credit card, and if a family knows they will be missing 2+ club meetings in a month and gives 2 days advance notice I'm happy to refund the fees on a prorated basis.  Do register before January 7th, it makes it easier for me to keep track of fees.  Note club members will have discounted rates for tournaments and private lessons automatically applied, no more discount coupons!  For families who have subscribed, give me a day to proce