The chess board and chess pieces are the start of your chess path to become a grandmaster!
The goals and objectives of chess
The ultimate goal of chess is to put your opponent in checkmate. However, it is not about checkmate only. Research shows that chess can play an important role in improving academic ability and developing valuable life skills such as planning, thinking ahead, decision-making, weigh-up of options and personal responsibility.
The ultimate objectives of teaching are to build and strengthen a learner’s self-esteem and self-worth! While some learners learn concepts fast, others need to learn concepts step-by-step – learning one piece of information at a time. Assessing the learner’s chess proficiency is an important aspect of teaching chess.
Chess, as a recreational community activity and outreach program, can have a positive impact on the social conditions which sustain crime and anti-social behaviour.
Effective and efficient chess development requires effective and efficient administrators – child rights must be the primary consideration by administrators in all chess matters concerning the child!
Free chess information for educators and players!
Our website consists of two main sections:
(1). the chess equipment section
(2). and a special section filled with free educational and empowerment [chess] information.
The free information section is:
- to assist players who do not have the financial means to pay for chess coaching (a child who can’t pay must be able to play!)
- to assist players who do not have the necessary chess facilities.
- to assist players, educators and administrators who live in the rural areas and are far away from the main cities.
- to assist players, educators and administrators who do not have the time to attend workshops.
- to assist schools and other institutions with chess development, especially amongst our disadvantaged and special needs communities.
The special section on free information is also in line with our goals to empower, uplift and educate communities!
The core focus of the free information section
- to provide a strong chess teaching foundation for educators and facilitators.
- to provide a strong chess learning foundation for beginner chess players.
Laying a strong foundation involves both the educator/facilitator and the learner.
The educator/facilitator
- how the educator/facilitator teaches (step-by-step-approach).
- what the educator/facilitator teaches (teaching structure and lesson plan).
- and assessing whether the learner has mastered the basics.
The learner
- learning chess and life skills.
- applying the skills.
Chess teaching foundation for educators and facilitators
The beginners chess teaching section has information on the factors that play a role when teaching chess, the barriers teaching chess, the measures to overcome the barriers, teaching chess to beginners in a step-by-step-approach, the objectives of a chess program and the basics of a teaching structure (the origin of chess, how to set up the chess board, the moves, rules and values of the pieces, chess concepts, a quiz after each theoretical discussion, practising the moves and an assessment).
Chess learning foundation for beginner chess players
The objectives of the beginner program
- to equip the learners with the basic rules of chess.
- to equip the learners with basic chess skills.
- to equip the learners with the basics of thinking.
- to equip the learners to develop cognitive and non-cognitive skills.
- to increase the learners’ confidence.
Program structure
The program consists of 4 units and each unit is divided into lessons:
- Unit 1: The Basics
- Unit 2: Special Moves and Tactics
- Unit 3: Notation
- Unit 4: The 3 Phases of a Chess Game
The above 4 units give the beginner chess player a strong foundation to start his or her chess path.
Lesson structure
In unit 1 each lesson consists of
- revision of the previous lesson(s).
- setting up of the various chess pieces.
- how the chess pieces move (the rules) and examples.
- how the chess pieces capture and examples.
- a short quiz to test the learner’s knowledge as part of continuous assessment.
- game time (practising the moves!).
- cross-references (via hyperlinks) to various chess concepts, explanations and examples.
The lessons in units 2 to 4 consist of more advanced chess concepts and principles which will assist both educators/facilitators and learners to build a solid chess foundation – a great building requires a strong foundation!
PS: The website is updated on a regular basis as it is a long term project!
- A chess set in every classroom in every school in every community – a child who can’t pay must be able to play!