William R. presented his final round game from October 12 at the Denton High School chess club meeting. His win in that game got him first place, and the $1000 scholarship, in the Scott Watson Memorial Chess Classic. As he presented the moves and commentary, pairs of students followed along on their own boards.
At St. Vincent’s School chess club, Dr. Alexey Root had the beginners play “Wolf versus Sheep,” a drill from Read, Write, Checkmate: Enrich Literacy with Chess Activities. The intermediates solved up to eight problems from worksheets from Thinking with Chess: Teaching Children Ages 5-14.
All three Greenhill School groups (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) solved problems on different worksheets taken from Dr. Alexey Root’s book Thinking with Chess: Teaching Children Ages 5-14.
At Denton High School chess club, Alex E. showed one of his games from the Scott Watson Memorial Chess tournament to other chess club members, who followed along on sets and boards. Alex paused the game at key moments so that the pairs following along could figure out the best continuations. Alex E. was one of 7 Denton High players at the tournament. The team result was third place and one Denton HS player, William R., took first individual and the $1000 scholarship.
For the advanced and intermediate groups, Dr. Alexey Root taught the five types of draws: by agreement, stalemate, three-time repetition, 50-move rule, and insufficient material. For the stalemate, 50-move rule, and insufficient material types Dr. Root had students, in pairs, come up with examples of these draws.
Dr. Alexey Root taught the Greenhill students five types of draws: by agreement, stalemate, three time repetition, 50-move rule, and insufficient material. For the stalemate, 50-move rule, and insufficient material draws, students, in pairs with chessmen and chess boards, came up with examples of stalemates and failed (correctly) to come up with examples of checkmates with insufficient material such as K and B vs. K.
At Denton High School chess club, students in one room played notated chess games with clocks and in the other room played chess for fun. The former group of students will be playing in a USCF-rated tournament tomorrow (Saturday, October 12). Dr. Alexey Root helped one pair of students, who finished their game early, with post-mortem analysis.
Dr. Alexey Root taught "The Knight's Can't Wait" which is from her book Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry and Problem Solving to beginning and intermediate students at St. Vincent’s School.
At Greenhill School, Dr. Alexey Root read the Big Book of Coco Can't Wait. Following her Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry and Problem Solving activity “The Knights Can’t Wait,” she paused the story so students could portray the journey of Coco and her grandma using knights. The advanced group additionally had time to work individually on the knight’s tour on diagram paper.
Dr. Alexey Root listed five types of draws: by agreement, stalemate, three time repetition, 50-move rule, and insufficient material. For the stalemate, 50-move rule, and insufficient material types she had students, in pairs, come up with examples of these draws. Then students played for fun and there were announcements about T-shirts and the upcoming Scott Watson Memorial Chess Tournament on October 12.
For the St. Vincent’s Chess Club meeting on Wednesday, October 2, 2013, Dr. Alexey Root taught the "Mazes and Monsters" lesson plan from Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry and Problem Solving to the beginners. While students set up mazes for each other, Dr. Root retaught and tested the two-rook checkmate with students.
Dr. Root had all three groups play "the pawn game" which is simply king and 8 pawns versus king and 8 pawns. It is featured in Science, Math, Checkmate: 32 Chess Activities for Inquiry and Problem Solving. When pawns promoted, players tried to use what they know about checkmating to try to checkmate their opponent.
