Dr. Alexey Root

Each group spent about 15 minutes with me. When not with me, each group played chess games supervised by the Chess Program Director.

Basic Endgame Checkmates, part four (part 3 was 4-3-13). White to move.

Read about Denton High School chess club in the April and June issues of Chess Life for Kids. Here are the ratings gains by Denton High School chess club members who went to SuperNationals V. 

Each group spent about 15 minutes with me. When not with me, each group played chess games supervised by the Chess Program Director.

Basic Endgame Checkmates, part three (part 2 was 10-16-12). White to move.

For Beginners: White: Ke1 + Qd1 + Rh1 vs. Black Ke5 checkmate.

Dr. Alexey Root had Denton High School students try to solve a ninth-century chess problem, published in her book People, Places, Checkmates: Teaching Social Studies with Chess. While experienced students worked on that problem, Dr. Root taught two beginners the two-rook checkmate, the Pawn Game, and the knight’s tour.

March 20, 2013 was the last day for St. Vincent’s School chess club for the 2012-2013 academic year. Two students at a time visited me, for about 8 minutes per pair, for me to review their notated games with them. Each pair visiting brought a game that they had played against each other. The student who had played White sat on the White side of the board.

All groups practiced pins similar to those found in Beginning Chess by Bruce Pandolfini.

Beginner Group: I announced just one pin problem at a time, putting the problem on the demonstration board and writing it on the notepad. Students did not set up the problem on their boards. They were asked to write their answers and then we discussed them.

All groups practiced forks from Beginning Chess by Bruce Pandolfini.

Beginner Group: I announced just one fork problem at a time, putting the problem on the demonstration board and writing it on the notepad. Students did not set up the problem on their boards. They were asked to write their answers and then we discussed them.

On Friday, March 8, Dr. Alexey Root used 10 pin problems from Bruce Pandolfini, Beginning Chess, 1993, New York: Fireside. Her directions were to “Number your notebook paper from 1-10. Write your answer in notation (i.e. 1. Be4) to each problem. After you and your partner have both written answers, you may discuss your answers and modify them as desired. Turn in your notebook paper, making sure your names are on it, to the teacher when you are done.

For Dr. Root's March 6, 2013 chess lessons at St. Vincent's School, she taught Battleship chess from Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators. Once the pawn is promoted, the students tried to conduct the king and queen checkmate. For all groups, Battleship Chess was the default activity when not being tested. Battleship Chess involves a king and four pawns against a king and four pawns. 

All groups

Battleship chess from Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators. Once a pawn (or more than one pawn) has promoted, students tried to checkmate using the king and queen (or, sometimes, king and more than one queen).

March 1, 2013 was the last day of the round robin tournament to determine which five Denton High School chess players will travel to SuperNationals V (April 5-7, Nashville). Read the April 2013 issue of Chess Life for Kids to learn who qualified and how Denton High School raised funds to make the trip possible. Also on Friday, March 1, Dr. Alexey Root used 10 fork problems from Bruce Pandolfini, Beginning Chess, 1993, New York: Fireside.

How to castle queenside for Beginners

How to castle queenside “PBJ"? group writing exercise, as more time on castling rules (especially queenside castling) is needed.