Class 1 Slideshow(get the joke with the image? first class?😁)

In our first workshop, the students learned about commonly used middle-game tactics, such as forks, skewers, and pins. The students then played against each other in pairs, with feedback from the coaches. At the end, the students enjoyed another variant of chess, called Giveaway, in which the goal is to lose all of your pieces.

Class 2 Slideshow

In our second workshop, the students learned about the assigned point value of the different chess pieces, along with the important skill of thinking a move ahead. They then combined both these topics through trading pieces, and implemented these skills in the games they played later on, with feedback from the coaches. Lastly, the students played a variant of chess, King of the Hill, which is normal chess but the goal is to get your king to the center squares(d4, d5, e4, or e5)/checkmate to win.

Class 3 Slideshow

In our third workshop, the students learned about the most commonly-used openings in chess, and implemented those openings into the games which were personally reviewed by the coaches. Students also learned about special moves, such as castling, en passant, and promotion. Lastly, the coaches taught them Zugzwang and Zwischenzug, two very important skills in the world of chess. Finally, they played Bughouse, which is a game of chess between two groups of partners. If someone captures a piece, they can give it to their partner to put in the game.

Class 4 Slideshow

In our fourth workshop, the students learned about the best strategies for the endgame, including checkmates with certain pieces like a single queen or rook. The coaches also went in-depth into how to promote a pawn, and they used these strategies well in their games later on in the class, where each had a coach that constantly reviewed it. At the end of class, students played a version of chess called Chess960, which is normal chess, but you can rearrange the bottom row of pieces(there are 960 ways to do this, hence the name Chess960.) The king must be between the rooks, and bishops must be on opposite squares(one on black and one on white). 

Class 5 Slideshow

In our fifth workshop, we went over each and every one of the previous topics we taught at our previous workshops like promotion or endgames, as a review for repeating students or a learning experience for new ones. We then conducted 10 minutes of chess games, and after, we played an enjoyable game of Jeopardy! with chess trivia.

Class 6 slideshow

In our sixth workshop, we taught the students four of the most common types of checkmate: the Back Rank, Smothered, Anastasia, and Blind Swine mate. Students learned what they looked like and how to spot them inside of a game to either play against your opponent or avoid from your opponent. We also talked about poisoned pawns, a type of pawn that at first appears insignificant, but when you capture it, your opponent has a trap placed; whether it be trapping your piece or a check, players should be wary of poisoned pawns. We then conducted our 30-minute chess game, where we provided constant feedback for the attendees at our workshop. Lastly, we ended with a game called Crazyhouse, where if you capture one of your opponent's pieces, you can place it on the board again working for your side.

Class 7 slideshow

In our seventh workshop, we delved deeply into the world of castling. Castling is a difficult move that has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on when it's used. We taught the students when, how, why, where, and what to castle. We also taught students the after-castling moves, such as when your opponent castles on the opposite side or same side as you. After that, we conducted our 30 minutes of game time, where we reviewed our students' games and provided feedback. Lastly, we played 15 minutes of No Stress Chess, a variation of chess where the piece you move next is randomly decided by playing cards.