Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

When you go for ski lessons at Hillend here in Edinburgh you start at grade 1 as a beginner and come out at the end at grade 8 (or so) as an advanced parallel skier with the technique to advance further. Its similar in other activities where there are similar structures in place that both guide a beginner through the learning process and measure their ability.

In chess we tend to learn by doing - which is a bit like learning to ski by going to the top of the slope and letting go. For some that works, to some extent, in that they can get get down most runs but their potential as a skier is limited by a lack of technique.

What I am suggesting is that we need some common set of 'grades' that would guide a player (and their trainers) through their development by providing a structure to their learning. So for grade 1 players should know basic ideas of how to open a game, perhaps some simple tactical themes and how to mate with K&Q Vs K. and so on.

It would be a bit like the J. Silman's end game book which presents the material based on the readers grade. I am sure there are many players that do not know the material deemed necessary by Silman for their grade.

Any thoughts?

Jacqui Thomas · King Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 340

Mike,
Yes, hear what you are saying but to Nationally put something in place would be a big job & we dont have the money & resources to do that.

However, I know that Mike Hanley in Lanarkshire & the Aberdeen Project use structured teaching modules along the lines you mention. So what we need is more areas (councils) employing full time coaches to go into the schools & put the structures in place.

As SDD one of my targets was to organise a training day for coaches & teachers (school). Part of that was to put a universal structure into the teaching at chess clubs etc. Andy stepping up to Exec D & my filling his post has scuppered that as my current remit does not have the funding to set it up but I will raise at a junior board meeting & hopefully David will read it here too as something to still consider doing.

Apart from that or setting up multiple training days for different levels I do not know how we can move forward nationally. It still comes down to money & resource.

Unless someone has any ideas - especially with funding to back it.

On the subject of funding. I know we are going through a credit crunch but if anyone out there knows of ways to raise funds or knows of sponsors that will support Scotland's juniors please contact me. The areas where we need funding is as mentioned, in getting structured training set up, further develop our current juniors & help support those that are representing the country at International events. It is a bit of a blow to parents when they are given the great news that their child has been selected to represent their country but hey you have to pay for the privelege.

Regards
Jacqui
HD Junior

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Thats interesting - who owns these? Can they be made available.

GN · King Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 415

When chatting with Charlie Storey at Edinburgh Congress earlier this year, he was telling me about his "National Curriculum" for chess. At the time he was rolling it out in and around Newcastle with aspirations to go National. I think his ideas are along the lines of what you guys are talking about here.

Take a look at: http://www.charliechess.com/

He may be someone to you may want to collaborate with on something here.

Alex McFarlane · King Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Posts: 413

I'm not saying don't use Charlie's stuff but it is only used in schools Charlie goes into. Other coaches in the Newcastle area (and I don't mean Lara) would not touch it with a bargepole.

It will certainly give you some ideas, but the copy I saw would need parts to be rewritten before giving to children in a school.

If his school teams have any success with the scheme I will let you know.

Trevor Davies · Queen Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 131

I find one of the difficulties of teaching chess is that the advanced player has to discard some of the stuff learnt earlier -it's not a linear process. You have to come back again and again to the same subject.

Has anyone any experience with the Dutch "Steps" instruction books/manuals?

AMcHarg · Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:06 pm Post subject:

Good ideas. Couldn't this be something that you could sell rather than something that you must fund?

A Cool

HLang · Queen Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Posts: 151 Location: Oxford

Paul Denham · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 8:07 am Post subject:

STAPPENMETHODE!!

Trevor the system you are talking about and the one which is on the Chess Tutor CD that Heather talks about was developed by Dutch IM Cor Van Wijgerden and strong player and teacher of talented kids (not just chess), Rob Brunia.

I have the full set of books published in English and the CD which Heather refers to. Both are excellent and very well geared towards helping fledgling coaches (like me!) and adults wishing to improve (like me).
Its used by the vast majority of clubs in the Netherlands (strong clubs/cities like Apeldoorn and Delft) and in Belgium and is spreading.

The system consists of 6 steps;
Step 1 Pawn
Step 2 Knight etc etc

There is a coaches guide which gives structured lessons (to be gone through at home then delivered to the kids/learning player) rather than slavishly followed. The key item they have are workbooks (a bit like Bain's tactic's books but on a lot more than tactics) and the idea is the kids/learning player complete some of these at the class/club and the rest at home.

The key to the system seems to be teaching at a manageable pace and ensuring the gap between learning and practice in games doesn't get too wide (i.e no point teaching new stuff if kids still haven't mastered checkmate with a queen's worth of advantage).

My feeling is that mixing some of the items in the Step by Step method with some of the best elsewhere like Silman's endgame course is the way to go. For juniors and the very young it doesn't major very much on FUN which is a bit of a downside and perhaps stuff like Dinosaur Chess is the way to go for these groups. The ECF forum and Richard James had a lot of discussion early this year on whether or not it would fit in with the English Culture and attitudes towards chess.

Some really good stuff on even exchanges/profitable exchanges which covers "counting" much the way Dan Heisman does and for more experienced players concepts like preparatory move and ideas such as luring etc for 5ply deep positions.

An excellent article by IM Van Wijgerden in New in Chess's Chess Instructor 2009 book (which I recommended a few months back and available via chess suppliers Very Happy

) and lots of good stuff on the website.

Van Wijgerden is now working with the shredder chess people to develop Chess Tutor - a more 21st century version of the CD which has a playing program built in and more explanations. At ca. £15-20 a step, I think its poor value for money. ... the CD with a bit of parental supervision would do just fine. Check out the link to the free downloadable demo on the Stappenmethode website.

I'm rated 1360ish so in the middle of the 1000-1800 band and the approach has certainly helped some parts of my game in recent times... something as basic as the making pieces safe exercises have helped me find the one safe square for my Q in on-line games or reviewing clubmates games.

Its not all new, and to be fair I can see where some US coaches have copied/rebranded some of Van Wijgerden and Brunia's ideas.... but does meet the structured criteria that Mike discusses.

the website is www.stappenmethode.nl

Distributor in UK and Ireland is John Adare of Chessz based out in Limerick. Its the better route, though when I got my first books off IM Van Wijgerden he was very polite and friendly and didn't tick me off for not spotting that in UK he isn't the distributor.

Anyone in the Glasgow area is very welcome to look through my copies of the guides and workbooks.

Paul

Paul Denham · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 8:10 am Post subject:

Should clarify.... anyone from the Glasgow area or from outside the Glasgow area but who is visiting the Glasgow area are welcome to get in contact with me and I can show them the Step by Step guides and workbooks.

Not yet at the stage of retaliating against the East Coast for Glasgow losing out on its Airport rail link!!!

Paul

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

I think after looking quickly at Charlie's stuff is that it is aimed too specifically at young juniors. What I was thinking is that we need to seperate out the what from the how. So for example the initial task would be to define a common syllabus which would be independant of the age of the potential studant, and leave the method of teaching down to the coaches.

Craig Pritchett · Queen Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 114

Fed up with the lack of a decent one-stop primer that takes the complete beginner to informed post-rookie stage, I wrote my own, just out - Chess for Rookies - see book info at www.everymanchess.com.

Chs 1 + 2 - Getting Started and Basic Chess Tactics - are written both with the self-learner and teacher in mind. For the latter, the sections can be treated as lesson plans. They include graded exercises and key notes and are carefully staged to ensure progression.

Chs 3 + 4 - Strategic Thinking and Opening Games - allow the reader / teacher to advance further. These chs also contain graded exercises (Ch 3 only) and key notes.

I drew inspiration from Lasker's Manual (an outstanding work). I seek to enthuse and stretch the reader to attain to his own desired playing level, while enjoying the process, understanding chess in a social, cultural and historic context, and avoiding uneccessarily over-the-top rote-learning.

Lasker's Manual was W A Fairhurst's chess "bible" and he gave me a now well-thumbed copy in the late 1960s.

"Chess for Rookies" is therefore a "Scottish" contribution. I acknowledge the wisdom of the chess kids of Dunbar primary school chess club, who taught me a lot!

The final Ch 5 deals with Next Steps.