Pick up a lifelong love for the ultimate game of strategy or refine your understanding of chess.
What will I learn in this class?
Chess has been played for more than 1,500 years and has attracted some of the world’s greatest minds. In the past few years, the game has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, thanks, in part, to the 2020 show “The Queen’s Gambit.”
This new Club class is designed to introduce beginners to the game and help intermediate players improve.
Aimed at ages 6 to 12, the class for beginners guides rookie players to understand everything from how the pieces move and the value of each piece to the principles of opening play and basic checkmates. Through considering the different options they have with each move, students will develop critical thinking, decision making skills and the ability to concentrate their focus on achieving a goal.
The intermediate class builds on basic checkmate and tactical patterns that lead to becoming a better chess player. Students will also learn patience, how to make plans and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each decision before deciding which move to play.
What are the benefits of this class?
Players of all ages and abilities improve their chess skills in a fun, group-learning environment. Beyond the board, chess has been shown to improve concentration and memory, boost creativity, planning and logical thinking skills and help players become more patient. Chess also opens the door to meeting people from a wide range of countries and backgrounds.
Who will teach this class?
Originally from Kentucky, Nathan Summerville has been playing chess since he was 16. He has achieved a rating of over 1800 in both USCF and FIDE and has won a number of tournaments while living in Missouri and Tennessee, and in May 2024 he finished in shared first place in the Japan Chess Federation’s Golden Week Open. He is a senior instructor at the Tokyo Bilingual Chess Club and an instructor at Nishimachi International School’s Chess Club.
Details
Winter Term
Spring Term
