Before I began teaching each group, I explained my expectation of their raising hands before they speak, in the lecture setting, to allow everyone a chance to think without the answers being given away. For the beginner group, I also stated that hands need to be in laps during lectures (rather than playing with chessmen).
Dr. Root showed a position from Fischer-Sherwin (U.S. Championship, 1957), which was reprinted in the December 2011 Chess Life on page 43. She explained (and demonstrated) definitions of double check and discovered check. Then students had a choice of whether to solve the Fischer-Sherwin position or four easier discovered checkmate and double checkmate puzzles from her forthcoming book Thinking with Chess: Teaching Children Ages 5-14.
The Coppell Gifted Association chess camp is December 26-28. Information is HERE and spaces are still available. Dr. Alexey Root will be teaching at the chess camp.
The camp is for ages 5-12.
Think Like A King donated chess software to Denton High School students training for SuperNationals V! Chess club today also featured a “white elephant” gift exchange, bughouse, and food.
At least five students from my Chess Online courses plus the Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies from UT Dallas (my boss!) and around 35 other people showed up for the 7:20 p.m. screening of Brooklyn Castle on Saturday, December 8, 2012. The audience clapped for the film as the credits rolled.
Denton High School chess club students set up a position from the UT Dallas Grandmaster Invitational (Round 8, Calugar vs. Chirila) and tried to find Black's 28th move. Round 8. White: IM Arthur Calugar. Black: GM Cristian Chirila. All games are on MonRoi under “2012 Fall UTD GM Invitational.” White: Kh3; Qe2; Rooks f2 and a1; Bf3; Pawns on c2, b3, and a2. Black: Kg8, Qe3, Rooks on g5 and f8; Pawns on e6, c6, b7, a7, h7, and g7. Black to move. Then President Luis had students plan for a party next week and Dr. Root talked about this weekend's showings of Brooklyn Castle. Click on "Read More" for the solution to the given position.
Dr. Alexey Root will be presenting a “Q & A” after the 7:15 p.m. showing of Brooklyn Castle this Saturday, December 8, at the Cinemark West Plano. To prepare for the Q & A, she researched what has happened to the I.S. 318 students profiled in Brooklyn Castle in the almost three years since the filming wrapped.
Students reviewed their games from the November 16, 2012 Dallas Chess Club Friday night G/30 tournament. Then Dr. Alexey Root announced an upcoming tournament that Denton High School students could travel to as individuals and three tournaments that Denton High School chess club will travel to as a team.
Twelve Denton High School chess players, sponsor Fred Mueller, and volunteer chess coach Alexey Root visited the opening ceremony Fall 2012 UTD GM Invitational. The games are available, live, at MonRoi. The tournament runs from November 16-20 and Alexey Root will cover it for Chess Lifemagazine.
Today was the awards day for the 10-week Greenhill School chess class. (I taught 9 of the 10 sessions). Director Cathleen Garcia handed out awards. I presented her with a copy of my sixth book Thinking With Chess: Teaching Children Ages 5-14. I also had all six of my books on display for parents and children. Greenhill School chess will resume February 5, 2013.
At Denton High School chess club today, Club President Luis G. showed a game that he won at the Scott Watson Memorial Tournament. Luis paused the game at several points so that pairs of his fellow chess club members could analyze those positions.
Dr. Alexey Root taught bughouse, from People, Places, Checkmates: Teaching Social Studies with Chess. Luckily, the number of children (24) was divisible by 4, allowing for six bughouse tables. After playing two games against the same team (switching who played who for the second game), each team took on a new team.
