Chess Club

Written by Ellen Pearson, 2^nd grader

                My school has a chess club that has 115 students, grades kindergarten through fifth.  The Chess Club instructors are Mr. and Mrs. Ayres.  The Chess Club is sponsored by Chess for Success.  There are three regular parent volunteers and a high school student,  that help out on a regular basis.

                The group sometimes splits up for lessons.  The kids with 300 or more points go with Mr. Ayres.  The other kids stay with Mrs. Ayres.  Then all the kids meet up in the game room, the multipurpose room. 

                The club meets on Monday and Wednesday for one hour after school.  Each day starts with a strategy lesson to win games.  Sometimes the lesson includes a video.  Then students pick partners to play games with.

                Students who go to a chess tournament earn 50 points.  Students also earn points for wearing their Chess Club T-shirts and for playing games during club meetings.  You earn the most points for winning games.  When there is a stalemate the points are split between the players.  As students move to the next level, 100, 200, or above, they get a certificate.  We are done doing points for this year, but we will start again next fall.

                Some of the students already knew how to play chess before joining the club, but many had not played chess before. 

Phoebe Pearson said that she likes chess “because it is a game of puzzles.”  While Garrett Taylor says that he “learned that chess is really, really fun!”

Created: March 2009