Chess House

Joanna and I watched the sun lower this week across the Haro Strait near Lime Kiln lighthouse. Several times a year, Orca whales breach during the sunset in this spot. This evening, smoke enhanced the pink red sun surrounded with pastel hues with a greyish blue backdrop. It was time to pause completely and see the sun set in a fresh new light. Although no Orcas where spotted, it was a mesmerizing, calming panorama.  If you visit the beautiful Pacific Northwest, be sure to take a ferry or small flight to the San Juan island, the second largest of hundreds of islands in the region. It's a fascinating region visited by some well known figures.This piece of Washington state might have belonged to England and later Canada if it weren't for the Pig War in which the only casualty was a pig!  It might well have been settled over a game of chess between the American and English camps but unfortunately it was not. When planning class curriculum, effective learning doesn't require that latest gadgets. Experiences and methods that worked before can be shared in a fresh new way. There has been some remarkable innovation in devices to support chess play. However, some of the most useful tools for chess learning are the classic concepts that haven't changed much over the years. Chess computers have been around for decades and these days some may seem outdated. But it's exactly these basic tools that parents and educators are recommending to assist children with healthy brain development that's associated with the use of fine motor skills and strategy concepts. Chess School is an inexpensive chess computer that provides hours of play and learning.     

Starting a chess program for students in a school can be a rewarding and intellectually enriching endeavor. Chess is known to enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills in students. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:1. Research and Planning:Begin by researching the benefits of chess in education. Gather information about successful chess programs in schools, both locally and globally. Understand the curriculum, resources, and strategies they employ. Identify the age groups and grade levels you wish to target.2. Support and Approval:Seek support from the school administration, teachers, and parents. Explain the educational benefits of chess and how it aligns with the school's goals. Obtain the necessary approvals to ensure a smooth start and ongoing support.3. Recruit Chess Enthusiasts:Identify teachers, parents, or community members who are enthusiastic about chess and willing to volunteer their time. Having knowledgeable and passionate individuals involved can greatly enhance the program's success.4. Resources and Equipment:Gather chess sets, boards, and clocks from Chess House school supplies. If budget allows, invest in good quality equipment that can withstand regular use. You might also consider digital platforms for virtual practice and learning.5. Curriculum Development:Develop a structured curriculum based on the students' age and skill levels. Start with the basics of chess rules, piece movements, and the objective of the game. Gradually introduce more advanced concepts like tactics, strategies, and openings.6. Lesson Plans:Create engaging lesson plans that combine theory and practice. Incorporate interactive activities, puzzles, and games to reinforce learning. Make sure the lessons are progressive, allowing students to build upon their skills.7. Chess Club or Class:Decide whether you want to establish an after-school chess club or integrate chess into the curriculum as an elective class. Both options have their advantages; a club offers flexibility, while a class ensures a consistent learning schedule.8. Promotion and Recruitment:Promote the chess program through school newsletters, announcements, and parent-teacher meetings. Highlight the cognitive benefits of chess and its positive impact on academic performance.9. Engaging Activities:Organize regular chess tournaments, friendly matches, and interactive sessions. These activities foster a sense of camaraderie among students and provide opportunities to apply their skills in a fun and competitive environment.10. Ongoing Training:Provide regular training for the volunteer instructors. Encourage them to attend workshops, online courses, or seek certification from chess organizations. Well-trained instructors can deliver high-quality instruction and maintain student engagement.11. Assessment and Recognition:Introduce a system to track students' progress. Recognize achievements through certificates, medals, or trophies. Celebrate milestones and improvements to boost students' motivation.12. Parent Involvement:Encourage parents to participate in the chess program. Organize parent-child chess events, where students can showcase their skills and enjoy chess with their families.13. Feedback and Adaptation:Collect feedback from students, parents, and instructors regularly. Use this feedback to refine the curriculum, adjust teaching methods, and enhance the overall program experience.14. Showcase Success:Regularly share success stories, improvements in critical thinking, and academic achievements resulting from the chess program. This demonstrates the program's value and encourages more students to join.Starting a chess program in a school requires careful planning, dedication, and a genuine interest in fostering students' intellectual growth. By creating a structured curriculum, involving passionate instructors, and engaging students through interactive challenges, you can establish a successful and rewarding chess program that leaves a lasting impact on young minds. Chess4Life can help you run a successful program by guiding you and providing resources for the elements above.

This article with videos highlights some areas of interest in the new Phoenix chess computing system, following its release in winter 2022. Yes, it's one of the most expensive computers on the market... but it's also the most sophisticated and useful for improvement and enjoyment of the game. I believe this advanced electronic chess system spans the gamut of interest from seasoned chess computing enthusiasts to newcomers. It's not just for adults either. As shown, young players with coach guidance can benefit greatly from the rapid setup of exercise positions along with the medium size chess board and intuitive on-board lights. Millennium, the company behind Mephisto Phoenix, launched this product after thousands of hours of testing. They built in many of the features based on extensive research. It's very exciting that there's more to come and they are actively listening to current users to prioritize the next upgrades. Here are some things we should see in the near future: - Active Game Saving- Improved PGN exports- LiChess online play and much more In fact we are already compiling the best suggestions from current users and bringing them to Millennium. Also, the videos on this page are the beginning. More advanced examples are being prepared. Phoenix is the first advanced upgradeable chess computing platform that's rich in features out of the box. During demonstrations alongside today's event, I connected the Mephisto to my Wifi phone hotspot and checked for Updates - very straightforward: An advanced platform with visual appeal My new acquaintance at this tournament, Ivan from Bulgaria, was supporting his son's relatively new fascination with chess - thus enterring his first chess tournament. With his CNC machining electronic controls experience, Ivan has a good grasp of the Pi platform and was fascinated by how the Pi and 7" touch screen had been beautifully applied to chess. Ivan first noticed the appealling aesthetics of the module with light-colored wood encompassing the touch screen. Instant Chess Position Evaluation With online chess computing, many players are already acustomed to instant computer evaluation of a chess position. This is made visual with Phoenix's chess Position Evaluation Bar. This bar shown in the video below helps you improve your chess skills by instantly and visually evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of any given position on the chessboard. It is shown as a Black and White vertical bar right next to the chess board. You can quickly analyze the value of pieces and assess the strategic potential of each move. The evaluation bar provides a visual representation of the position's strength, making it easy to understand and identify areas for improvement. Evaluation Scoring is also provided as a decimal in the details area. This is constantly being updated as the board position evolves. Your ideal opponent: Shredder adaptive with Elo Rating Shredder’s Adaptive Profile on the Mephisto Phoenix is a great chess training tool that adapts to your skill level. With this innovative tool, you can start a game and get a challenging opponent that's matched to your level. BACK: Rewind moves and play different lines The BACK option on screen starts taking back moves as shown in this video. You can press it again to stop it. (Note that to start take back you need to first let the computer complete its move). Entire Board/Piece Recognition: Starting a New Game To start a new game, setting up the pieces in their starting squares signals to Phoenix that a new game is desired. (There's no Resign or Draw option because the computer assesses the scoring of the final position automatically as to whether it's equal a win, or loss.) Fast Position Setup: for Game Review or Continued Play I tried out position setup with this young player to practice a Queen vs King endgame checkmate. It's so fast and intuitive. The efficiencies of hands on chess game review and learning will certainly accelerate learning. Watch this video: Thanks to fast sensing pieces, the board position is instantly shown on the screen in Position Setup mode. You have the full choice of how to train and improve your game. Select any chess position and place it on the board with just a couple button presses. You can start playing against a top-notch engine, analyze the position to uncover new strategies, or go head-to-head in a two-player game. The best part? You can switch between these modes anytime you want, making positional training easier and more convenient than ever before. With Position Setup you have the freedom and flexibility to train in the way that works best for you. Here's how: Select Mode / Position and put your chess position on the board. The piece recognition of the Mephisto Phoenix does the rest for you. Now select if you want to play against one of the top engines, against a friend or if you want to analyze this position. MOVE allows you anytime to hand over the other side to the engine, so that you can follow move by move the best way. Profiles in Mephisto Phoenix: Save user settings with profiles You can easily switch between different combinations of settings with just two clicks. The developers have pre-set 6 profiles for each of the three top-notch engines (Shredder, Hiarcs, and Komodo) to cover all player types, from absolute beginners to maximum engine performance. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned player, there's a profile that will fit. Phoenix also gives you the freedom to modify each profile to your personal needs. Whether you want to change the playing strength, time control, or any other setting, you can do so with ease, creating a customized chess experience that's tailored to your individual needs. How to Use the Phoenix: More videos and guidance Would you like to see certain features demonstrated? Make a request via our Contact page and we'll try our best to prioritize this and reply to you. Features we would like to see Here's an example of some areas where we would like to see improvement. 1. Game saving. A better approach to saving the active game so that when the computer is turned off it is possible to easily resume the game. 2. How tos. More clear training on how feature's work. We are producing various additional resources and videos to help you with this. For example, how does Adaptive really work and what do the ratings mean that are shown? 3. Alternate Moves. The computer sees many different lines of play. A suggestion came in that it is more straightforward to tell the computer to make a different move from it's array of potential ones. Instead of making the first move, activating Take Back move and then playing a different one, shorting the steps to a single Alternate Move. This helps users more easily try out different game continutations faster. Active Development and Updates We want to hear your questions and feature requests. This computer was launched with thousands of hours of testing. But we are gather feedback to help direct Millennium's development priorities. Let us know what features you would most like to see added to this device. To provide feedback, please Contact us through our Support form on this page.   Retro Engines OK, this is pretty cool. For those who have played chess computers from decades past, the Retro engines will bring back memories. I tried out the Mephisto Rebel (shown) and the TASC R30 (one of my favs). The Mephisto brand was resurrected by Millennium and now the Rebel computer can be played on the latest Mephisto computer, the modernized Phoenix! How to Purchase a Phoenix Module or Complete Set There are three ways to buy this computer. 1) Phoenix Module only if you already own a prior Exclusive or Supreme 55 board.2) Module with Medium board as shown in the article above3) Module with full-size Tournament board. Sold out Sold out Sold out

Corey shows off his STACK chessboard at the opening of Lynden’s @tincancigarco shop early 2023. The STACK chessboard is a fascinating and exclusive centerpiece, the most unique and functional chess board ever made. For those seeking extraordinary craftsmanship, innovative concepts, and the thrill of chess, it's an eye-catching conversation piece. When you're ready for a game, slide the stack to the center of the table remove the magnetic, suede wrap, and let the 4 quadrants join for a perfect playing field. The Limited Edition STACK features a 3 sided, dovetailed, walnut display box that perfectly complements the fine hardwood chessboard and is wrapped in the soft suede magnetic cover that both protects and shows off the piece. Each one is also engraved with the emblem and its own unique number ## of 250.Orignally from Switzerland, these skills were passed down through five generations. This lost art of woodworking is continually refined, blending timeless methods with the latest knowledge of wood behavior.For example every design must be carefully planned with the appropriate wood selection and cuts to account for variations in humidity that cause natural expansion and contraction of wood. To craft a wood product that will last for generations, John gives great attention to every phase of production including wood selection, drying, cutting, curing, crafting, and the multi-step finishing process that results in the smooth, elegant, lustrous finish for which the JLP products are known. Every product is personally overseen by John and must meet his standards before releasing them to Chess House. Here are the STACK products, only available at Chess House. Sold out Sold out

The most powerful chess computer of all time Phoenix comes in a modern glass touch screen design and offers both the newest computing technologies along with retro engines from decades past. Just how powerful is the Mephisto chess computer? It is designed to play beginner players (900 ELO rating), Chess Grandmasters (2800+ ELO), all the way up to 3400 ELO! Beautifully designed modern cabinet The new high-end chess device with state-of-the-art technology offers almost everthing you'd expect from the royal game. The modern cabinet comes with a large color touch screen made from real glass, matching its wooden board perfectly. With its clear and very responsive touch menu system, it is the perfect home station for chess enthusiasts of all ages, playing strengths, and experience levels. the Phoenix with a Rosewood Board Bundle Three ways to buy Mephisto Phoenix Sold out Sold out Sold out The Engines In cooperation with Ruud Martin, the owner of Phoenix Chess Systems in the Netherlands, a multi-engine system has been developed, adding great variety.With Shredder Neuronal and Stockfish 15 NNUE, you see the world's first dedicated chess computer using most modern neuronal engine technologies. The two high class commercial engines Hiarcs and Komodo are on board as well.See and feel how different modern engines behave! With the large informative screen, you'll observe easily what the engine thinks and how differently things are evaluated. Online Play Coming The ability to use the ChessLink App directly on the unit without the need of any additional device will be implemented as a free update in 2023. This allows you to play on LiChess directly from your Phoenix using internal WiFi. You can play with millions of people all over the globe. (Meanwhile, you can still connect ChessLink Module MIL822 to the board to accomplish this now). WiFi System Updates Updates come via WiFi directly on the unit. If you purchase additional software in ComputerChess.com webstore it is installed as easy as the press of a button. Powerful Hardware The Phoenix uses a 1.5G 64-Bit Quadcore processor with 4G Ram provided by a Raspberry Pi 4B. It's 7 inch TFT screen with 1024x600 resolution gives you great insights into chess computers thinking processes and makes it easy to control the countless functions. Powerful speakers bring you modern and clear sound effects fitting the systems look and feel perfectly. It's suitable for the 40cm (17.5") Exclusive and the 55cm (21.7") Supreme boards with Piece Recognition. The module has a size of approximately 18x13x9cm (7.1 x 5.1 x 3.5"). At more than 700 grams (1.5lbs), it's a device that feels sturdy.   It offers connection to Millennium Boards with piece recognition, USB Type A for updates via USB Drive or PGN downloads, 9V DC In and WiFi Connection. Brand New Board Construction The chess boards with full sets bring several advantages compared to current Exclusive and Supreme Millennium boards. They are made with MDF base construction with wooden veneer on the sides. They have a full protective dark rosewood and bright maple look. Everything is covered with transparent protective lacquer, bring more resistant to scratches and bumps as well as providing excellent protection against discoloration by sunlight. The LEDs are now fully flat integrated. The new boards feature a Mephisto badge matching the Phoenix. Phoenix T model above shows the 21.7" Tournament board in Rosewood and Maple Bright LEDs help you understand every piece movement and placement. Software Features The basic system is a UCI based multi-engine chess computer, expanded with classical chess computer emulations running at a remarkable high speed as well as the capability to play online on LiChess directly from the system. It comes with 4 different Top-Class Engines on Board: Shredder 13.5, Komodo 14.1, Hiarcs 14.2 and Stockfish 15 NNUE. More engines are coming Most powerful chess computer of all time Of the built-in chess programs, Stockfish and Komodo in particular offer an extremely high playing strength which not even the current world champion could overcome. Beginners on up Starting from a very simple level, which is also suitable for absolute beginners, the system can reach a maximum performance of over 3400 ELO. In fact, there are countless options to adjust the playing strength to your individual needs. The system covers the widest playing strength range ever provided by a chess computer.   The large screen offers deep insights. Setting your strength To set the strength, you can take the easiest route and let the computer adjust to your playing strength on its own. Use Shredder's ELO levels to adjust the program to your needs or choose Komodo's skill levels as a natural but not unbeatable chess opponent. Or you use the speed limiter and fine-tune the engines without limiting them in an unnatural way. Whether you let a 6-year-old child playing against the computer or you always wanted to challenge a world chess champion, here you finally have the system to do it all. Get your own ELO Rating Shredder offers a highly interesting new function with its fully automatic self-adapting playing strength with ELO rating. In this way you can continuously monitor your progress and see how much you have improved through training with the computer. Komodo also contains an adaptive playing strength function which, in contrast to Shredder, adjusts itself while the game is in progress. Innovative neuronal engines Shredder and Stockfish can be used with their neuronal algorithms. MEPHISTO PHOENIX is the first chess computer to use this new technology. Experience how these powerful programs compare to classical engines. Easy Game Evaluation The evaluation bar beside the chess boards tells you at first glance how the engine is seeing the position. Any blunders are quickly noticed that way and you always have a feeling on how good you do.   Many different level settings: Here are the tournament time controls. Comfort Menu for Quick Access Starting with the unit is easy. The comfort menu gives you the choice out of 6 well balanced, predefined profiles for each commercial engine. The Mephisto Development Team has set them with great care to show you the variety of the software and invite you to try them out. There is one for each type of player for sure! Just switch it on and start playing! Of course: Welcome to modify the profiles per your needs. You like the game to be more aggressive? The ELO Limit a little lower? Just modify the values with the touch screen menu and save them in your profiles. You can create up to 18 different profiles this way! The Profile Selection makes it easy to try the different engines at various levels. UCI Engine Commands Made Easy Each UCI Engine comes with its own set of very special settings, giving you a huge choice of influencing its play. You'll see the most important ones in the general menu where you can always find them easily. However, if the special ones provided only by individual engines appeal to you, access them by a dynamically created engine options sub menu. This allows Millennium to add any UCI Engine in the future along with convenient access of the most special options. Great opening training per your needs The machine comes with various opening books. The standard one by Mark Uniacke provides you with more then 1,000,000 positions, all from master play. This is the biggest opening book ever provided by a dedicated chess computer. There is furthermore a "fun" book with more unusual openings and also three specially designed books playing typical openings from chess stars like Carlsen, Fischer and Kasparov. The system does not only allow you to limit the depth of book moves, but also you can advise the engine to use e.g. only the best 25% of moves. What if you dislike an opening or like to train a special one? Just take back the move made by the engine, press move and it will play the second best automatically. So you can "scroll" through the opening options for your position directly on the board. Powerful Analysis - Training Made Easy With more then 3100 ELO for example with Komodo, you can setup any position via the position mode and take a deep look into the engines analysis. Also here the Evaluation Bar shows you quickly how the engine thinks. Switch on all the display options to see all the evaluations even during the game itself. Emulate Classical Chess Computers from the 80s and 90s The system can provide you with 20 historical Chess Computer Emulations. The Programmers Richard Lang, Johan de Koning, Ed Schroeder as well as Elmar Henne & Thomas Nitsche gave their permission to use their world champion systems from the past in this new computer. Most remarkable is the “Mephisto Glasgow”, the legendary world championship program of 1984 - which runs on the Mephisto Phoenix system at a speed approximately 66 times faster than the original machine of the time. Imagine what these classics can do with the todays processing power. With the speed bar you easily control the emulation speed or set it to the speed of the original chess computer, button and display layout follows the originals. Get back to the 1980s to explore the rise of computer chess. Compared to the well know Revelation II chess computers, the Phoenix offers several advantages on its emulations: The higher speed is one aspect, the direct control of all functions with the touch buttons is another one. The highest focus however went into the new speed bar. It allows not only a seamless speed setting, but also to set the original speeds of the different chess computers available with the according program. Users can for example choose King 2.5 and toggle through Tasc R30 and Tasc R40 by simply pressing the middle of the emulation display. This way, each emulation provides access to a wider series of chess computers with different hardware. The Profile Selection makes it easy to try the different engines at various levels. Mephisto Glasgow is up to 66 times faster than the original computer back in 1984. the Mephisto Phoenix is right for you if you > wish to own the most powerful chess computer ever made, building a bridge between past glory days and todays modern style of playing chess off-and online, > are interested in modern engine technologies, e.g. NNUE Technology, > like to play with retro chess computers and see how these programs play on modern hardware, > plan to play online on LiChess directly from your board, without the hassle of any additional connections or distracting communication devices (2023 update), and that's just the beginning! Three ways to buy Mephisto Phoenix Sold out Sold out Sold out

Selena is an aspiring youth in Detective Cookie’s pilot program that has turned from a summer experiment into a remarkable success story of intergenerational cooperation – much needed in communities across the country. When I spoke with long time chess promoter and Seattle Police Detective Denise (aka Detective Cookie), I immediately recognized this story needs to be told. Selina, at just 10 years old played against much older women and won the 1st prize Under 1400 rated section in the Washington Women’s Championship this September. - Detective Cookie Many of these young people didn’t know what to do with their time… Now they are playing chess with seniors on a regular basis, getting to know them, and even be able to tell highlights of “their senior’s” life story in a mini presentation. The seniors are honored and provided with an outlet to make a difference in these young people’s lives – or even learn chess from the youth already excelling at chess. “Bringing youth and elders together weekly to play chess has been outstanding” says Denise Bouldin. “These youth have gotten the opportunity to interact with their elders and to learn the history of many of their elders. They both have coached each other in the game of chess. Some of the chess teens/kids are very good at chess and have given each other a tough challenge. “Bringing youth and elders together weekly to play chess has been outstanding”  A couple of the seniors were new to chess and it was wonderful to see the youth teaching them how to play chess.” Key to kicking off the program were small incentives at several stages, easier than it sounds. Several people who heard about this story were so pleased, they stepped forward with donations including chess equipment. The Detective Cookie CHESS PARK Opening September 2022 Seattle Police Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin started a chess club for Rainier Beach youth. The game served well as a metaphor for life’s important decisions. Since then, Detective Cookie’s chess club has provided a safe haven and created an opportunity for neighbors of all ages to interact and build community. To honor Detective Cookie and to carry forth the positive momentum of her work, a group of community leaders and volunteers formed the Friends of Det. Cookie Chess Park (FDCCP) and created a permanent chess park and community gathering space.  The small public park encourages chess play on built-in chess tables and on a giant in-ground chess board. This park is meant to be an outdoor destination for her club as well as the greater community to learn, play and observe chess together in Rainier Beach, Seattle, WA. The mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families in Rainier Beach through the game of chess. Learn more about the PARK Grand Opening View this profile on Instagram Detective Cookie Chess Park (@detectivecookiechesspark) • Instagram photos and videos

One of the beautiful things about chess is that the chess board takes so little space to play. At the same time, you can express your personal style through the artform of the board you own. How much space is needed for a chess board? At times the answer may seem obvious — but not always! Let's start with the dimensions: Chess boards are square and generally range in size from 16 to 20 inches (40.6 - 50.8 centimeters). Add extra space for the outside edge of the board.   For example, the chessboard below will fit comfortably for play in a variety of table surfaces in most homes. It also has a helpful design for storage when not in use. This Player’s Chessboard, at 21” square is a medium size chessboard most often paired with tournament size Staunton type piece as shown.     Chessboard Play The chessboard’s wooden perimeter provides visual balance. Your table ideally should have at least a few inches on either side for pieces that are not in play ...or even a timer. Plus, if you are sitting at the table, it can be helpful to have 2-3 inches in front of either player. Too much, however, and it’s quite a reach. For this 21” Square chessboard, a table surface at least 26” D x 30” W would be comfortable. The space in front of each player is less important than the width available next to the chessboard.   Chessboard Storage If need to set your beautiful chessboard aside for storage, rather than an awkward size, you simply close it like a book. As you can see, when you own a chessboard, it’s wise to plan ahead for not only where you will play, but how you will store or display it. You could even put your chessboard on display with a few pieces on guard.   About this Chessboard The Player’s folding chessboard is handcrafted in the USA with solid-block maple and walnut construction visible from both surfaces. Precision joined 2” squares, groove cuts, beveled edge, and engraved emblems make this one of the finest chessboards you could find for your home. This collection of fine, hardwood chessboards is enjoyed by Grandmaster Wesley So while he improves his game and World Champion Magnus Carlsen who has played them in some U.S. events. The folding board design uniquely featured in this article helps with storage. You can shop for the 21" Board in both classic and folding.   Where are photos of the hinge? More photos are coming when the first order of boards arrives. The actual board shown in video and photos has an invisible barrel hinge type design, the exact same design as the product you order now. The only difference is that this sample board shown has a wood block construction that would be visible with photos of the hinge area. That will be cleaned up on the actual production model for a very finished look along with the hinges.   Where can I buy one? This 21" Folding Player's Chessboard is exclusive to Chess House and is sometimes available. It’s made in limited quantity and is in stock occasionally.    

In a few minutes you will understand how to read and write chess moves, called “chess notation”. Being proficient at this will help you read and play through games of great players to learn and improve your own chess game! There is a wealth of materials both in book and digital form allowing you to study the chess moves of great chess players. Chess Recording Sheets most oftened called “scoresheets” are a fairly standard paper recording format for the game player, event, moves, and result. These are in use by the US Chess Federation as well as international organizations such as FIDE which overseas all world-class competitions. Algebraic Chess Notation is the current and best form to learn of which Figurine Notation is a derivative swapping the piece names for figures to be langauge neutral.   Why should I write down my chess moves? Replay them! Chess notation enables you to record your games for playback later. That day you played a superb game of chess… wouldn’t you like to be able to play through it later and show your friends? Learn from them! Recording the game with chess notation enables you to review your game and analyze how you could make better moves or learn from a lost game. If you’re learning from an instructor, they will be able to quickly give feedback by looking at your recording sheet. It’s required in competitive play! Chess competitions require move recording at scholastic to championship levels. The most basic reason is proof of the game’s specific position and number of moves in case there is a dispute. Timed competitive games often have a time allottment to reach 40 moves and it must be clear when that point is reached.   Chess Notation Explained Chess Notation describes each move with the name of the pieces and the square to which it is moved. Each piece has its own letter abbreviation, except the pawn. If no piece is named, it’s assumed to a pawn move, and Knight is “N” not “K”, which is King.   In the following diagram I made the first move pawn to e4. The name of this move is simply “e4”. (since the pawn’s name is not written)   Here’s how this would appear on a scoresheet used in clubs and tournaments.   Now black has made a pawn move, written e5. Next, White replied Nf3. Notice how the name of the piece is written as well as the name of the square.   Now, we’re going to fast forward to some special moves. See in the next diagram how white has made a special move called castling kingside. This move is written as 0-0. If the King castles on the queenside (to the other direction on the chessboard) it would be written as 0-0-0.   In the next diagram, White captures Black’s pawn on d5. This move is called exd5. For “capture” write an “x”.   Next, White captures the Knight on c6 with the Bishop. This move is written as Bxc6+. Notice the “+” sign. This represents “check” since Black’s King is now in check.   White just moved his pawn to d4. Black’s next move exd3(ep), is a special move called “en passant” capturing white’s d4 pawn in passing while moving his pawn to d3 – as if the pawn had moved to d3.   After several more moves, Black captures White’s Bishop on c1 with dxc1=Q. That’s about as complicated as it gets! This means pawn captures piece on c1 and promotes it to a Queen. Black could promote it to any other piece he chooses, but Queen’s are nearly always the best choice. In the rare game, a player has promoted the pawn to a Knight with checkmate.   The next move is Raxc1. Note that either the rook on A1 OR F1 can capture the queen. This means that the “a” must be included to indicate which rook was played.   In this next position, black makes a winning move, d4++, pawn to d4 CHECKMATE! By now you may have guessed that this game was created for moves illustration. It’s true, White has made some rather questionable moves.   That’s all you need to know about standard Algebraic Chess Notation! You’ve learned the notation standards and how to indicate the special moves check (+) en passant (ep) castling (0-0 or 0-0-0) checkmate (++). If you wish to take this a step further, you can learn about annotating a chess game, a form of analysing the game in notation form so that others view the annotators opinions of moves that were made.   Extra: Chess Annotation Symbols You’ll find that once you can read and write chess notation, your world is opened to a wide expanse of chess knowledge. Diving into this will help you improve your game as a chess player and you’ll be able to advance strides ahead of your friends. In addition to writing the moves themselves, chess players will comment on the strengths and weakness of chess moves with chess move annotation symbols. These are some of the symbols you’ll see … Black’s move ! Good move !! Excellent move ? Bad move ?? Terrible move (blunder) !? Interesting move ?! Dubious move Notice how some of these comments have been placed on the scoresheet shown above. With this introduction to chess notation you should be ready to record and reply games with condifidence.

For entertainment during their mission, astronauts often pack games in a personal locker. Astronaut Greg Chamitoff packed this chess set with added fabric fasteners so the pieces wouldn't float away. During his rest time, he played with flight controllers around the world. (photo credit NASA International Space Station) Eventually a "Space vs. Earth" chess match was set up in which Chamitoff in space faced off against the third grade U.S. national chess championship team on Earth. People voted online on possible moves the team posted. Earth won. You can view Chamitoff's chess set up close if you make a visit to the Space Center Houston in Texas. This chess set was once speeding at five miles per second, 210 miles above the Earth, on shuttle mission STS-124. Chamitoff added Velcro to the chess pieces to keep them from floating away in weightlessness. He played long-distance chess during his mission in his off time with station control centers around the world.  Chamitoff was undefeated until he played a down-to-earth meeting with his opponents in Bellevue, WA. Ten students from Stevenson Elementary had recently achieved high rankings at the National Scholastic Chess tournament. The students would select 4 possible moves together, and put them out to the public for vote, the process facilitated by the US Chess Federation. Eventually Earth won. Although, Chamitoff did not know the students personally, but they became friends over video. Six months and 21 days after the match began, they finally met in person. “Oh boy, you guys are amazing,” Chamitoff said after he strode into a small ballroom to greet his opponents, from Stevenson Elementary School in Bellevue. Their elevated chess play was largely thanks to Chess4Life which enabled the kids to not only excel at the game but train and develop key life skills.

Would you like to renew the magnificent appearance of your JLP line chess games from Chess House? This two-step process will renew and revitalize these hardwood products. In fact, minor scratches will often disappear as a result. With this method, you'll get a streak free water-based cleanser that removes fingerprints, residue, and much more from surfaces. It prevents splotching on Maple and Walnut wood including varnished finishes.  By simply maintaining the luster of your furniture, you are ensuring it's heirloom quality to last for generations to come. Cleaning and maintaining with Heirloom Essentials will extend the life and beauty of your wooden products. Whether chess board as shown above, a box, or another product, the attractive, vibrant look can be restored. You might be started with a dusty or well used item that looks like this. With the right cleanser/polish combination, you can get great results in 5-10 minutes. Soon it will be looking like this. This two-step cleanser and polishing formula is recommended, along with a microfiber towel. It's the Heirloom Essentials Spotless Cleanser and Fine Furniture Polish by Woodwright products. This cleaner and polish is a water base formula that performs well, does not deteriorate finished wood, and contains no silicone ammonia or wax. The “Spotless” Cleanser easily removes oils and other residues. After this, polish to a rich luster with the Fine Furniture Polish. It comes in a small, affordable quantity and is quite readily available. Avoid silicone or wax. Silicone is a good oil but seems to degrade quicker. Wax is susceptible to watermarks, rings, and is visibly damaged with direct heat. Wax and silicone prevent easy repair.    Removing Scratches and Restoring Finishes JLP board games are finished with a multi-coat catalyzed conversion varnish. For medium scratches that do not penetrate the finish into the wood itself, you can prepare the surface with a lacquer thinner or acetone, then apply a water based poly-urethane. Note in particular though that when the water based poly-urethane is applied, it should be wiped on and then off relatively quickly. Don't allow it to stay in place for any length of time. For deeper scratches reaching wood itself and where a completely renewed finish is desired, sanding down the entire surface is necessary with appropriate woodworking tools before reapplying the conversion varnish. If you’re not sure which step of restoration, each one can be applied in order without damaging the board.  For example, start with Renewing the Finish. If that is not sufficient, try the Medium Scratch method with water-based polyurethane. If that still is not sufficient, you can remove the finish of a surface, sand it down, and reapply the appropriate varnish. If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to the Chess House support team. The JLP Hardwood Games are an exclusive product line of Chess House.

Here are the chess sets recommended so you child can have a great CHESS CAMP experience with Chess4Life!   Watch this short video. Get the ideal chess set to your door quickly SAVE 15% TODAY with COUPON CODE CHESS4LIFE15 Sold out Buy Sold out Buy Sold out Buy You can win, draw, and learn! - Elliott Neff Promo of Chess4Life Camps to go here!

Are you looking for a chess set that will be appreciated for many years? One that's aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting? With so many choices on the Internet it can be a little overwhelming to know which one is ideal for you. Here are Chess House, we have discovered what people appreciate most about an ideal chess set. Style, material, and build quality are crucial. Just as important however is availability of replacements pieces should one be lost. That's one of the reasons it's a good idea to buy your sets from Chess House where you're reassured you can easily receive a replacement part in the future. A chess set for your home Playing chess with others at home may be a highlight of your week. Often, kids enthusiastically participate. It can be a needed break from electronics and positive time to connect with each other other. Here's the ideal wood chess set for your home that fits most budgets and needs for play. The Championship Chess Set is a wonderful wood chess set for casual chess play at all levels and ages. 19" front to back, it's a comfortable size to reach over and play. Durable hand-carved, full-size (3 3/4" tall) wooden chessmen are produced by skilled craftsmen in India and felted for a smooth playing experience on the European made wooden chess board. The alpha-numerics are a nice added touch, extra helpful for beginning players or those who appreciate the ease of identifying squares during replay of recorded games using chess notation. Although the mahogany board is shown, there are a variety of board materials for you to choose from.   For an absolutely stunning set at home, upgrade the board to a U.S. handcrafted JLP style board. This Heirloom Chess Set is extraordinary. The tournament pieces slide effortlessly on the ultra-smooth wooden surface. An Heirloom Chess Set is one that will be treasured by your loved ones.   Attractive chess set for solo play Often someone enjoys chess yet doesn't not have a suitable playing partner. Electronic chess computers fill this need well! A chess computer provides a chess opponent at any time. With advances in software, the latest chess computers are quite interesting and fun to play. The Millennium Exclusive Chess Computer is PERFECT for all chess enthusiasts to enjoy the game at home. While you play and move the pieces naturally, they are automatically recognized and the responses are shown directly on the board for you to play.  It's one of the best ways to relax and enjoy the game of chess. Just sit down and play. It can be play at any level to give a challenging or easy game or to progress with growing skills! And it has many ways to configure and play the game. It's equipped with two of the most famous chess engines ever: The King and Chess Genius. If you want to look further, here's guidance to help you find the ideal Electronic Chess Computer.

Do you enjoy chess? If so, you'll love these 32 interesting chess facts! These facts will impress your friends and make you seem like a chess expert. Did you know that... - chess is the most popular board game in the world? - chess was invented in India? - there are over 700 million chess players in the world? Learn more about this fascinating game with these amazing facts! #1 Initially, the Queen could only move one square at a time, diagonally. Later, she could move two squares at a time, diagonally. It wasn't until Reconquista Spain, with its powerful queen Isabella, that the Queen became the strongest piece on the board. #2 The number of possibilities of a Knight's tour is over 122 million. #3 A computer called DeepThought became the first computer to beat an international grandmaster in November 1988, Long Beach, California. #4 The word "Checkmate" in Chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means "the King is dead". #5 The longest chess game theoretically possible is 5,949 moves. #6 If you put one grain of wheat on the first square of the chessboard, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth, and so on, how many grains of wheat do you need to put on the 64th square? The answer is 9,223,372,036,8 54,775,808(approximately 9.22x10^18) grains of wheat. #7 The new pawn move, where pawns were allowed to advance two squares on their first move instead of one, was first introduced in Spain in 1280. #8 The longest chess game ever was I.Nikolic - Arsovic, Belgrade 1989, which ended in 269 moves. The game was a draw. #9 According to America's Foundation for Chess, there are 169,518,829,100,544,000,000,000,000,000 (approximately 1.70x10^29) ways to play the first 10 moves of a game of chess. #10 There are 400 different possible positions after one move each, 72,084 different possible positions after two moves each, and over 9 million different possible positions after three moves each... 318 billion different possible positions after four moves each. #11 Chess clocks were first used in 1883, and the first world chess championship was held in 1886 #12 The first printed chess book was completed three years after Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas - in 1495. #13 Chess was invented around 550 AD in Northwestern India. Its early form was called chaturaṅga, literally "four divisions of the military" - infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry. These forms are represented by pieces that would become the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook. #14 600 AD is the first clear reference to chess, in a Persian manuscript that describes chess coming to Persia (Iran) from India. #15 From the starting position, there are eight different ways to Mate in two moves and 355 different ways to Mate in three moves. #16 Dr. Emanuel Lasker from Germany retained the World Chess Champion title for more time than any other player ever: 26 years and 337 days. #17 In 1985, the Soviet player Garry Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion ever at the age of 22 years and 210 days. Magnus Carlsen nearly beat this record at 22 years 11 months 24 days November 23, 2013. #18 The first Chessboard with alternating light and dark squares appears in Europe in 1090. #19 Albert Einstein was a good friend of World Chess Champion Emanuel Lasker. In an interview with the New York Times in 1936 Albert said, "I do not play any games. There is no time for it. When I get through work I don't want anything which requires the working of the mind." He did take up Chess in his later life. #20 Rookies, or players in their first year, are named after the Rook in Chess. Rooks generally are the last pieces to be moved into action and the same goes for Rookies. #21 Blindfold chess is an impressive skill that many stronger chess players develop. It requires a keen ability to visualize the board clearly. National Master Elliott Neff played 12 games blindfolded simultaneously, winning 11 of them. #22 There are well over 1,000 different openings, including variations within larger openings/defenses that one can learn. #23 Chess sets normally have 32 pieces. But it has become popular to include 2 extra queens making it 34. The two spare queens can be used in pawn promotion. #24 Notable American mathematician Claude Shannon calculated the number of sensible chess games to be around 1040 games. For comparison, the number of atoms in the observable universe is roughly estimated to be 1080. That may be the reason it's the most timeless game #25 Though affected by several factors including time allotted, it has been calculated that the average number of moves in a tournament game with professional players is roughly 40. #26 The term "zugzwang," describes a situation in chess where a player would prefer not to move at all when it's his turn because moving any piece would worsen his current position. A player who is forced to make a move in this situation is said to be "in zugzwang". #27 While playing a game of chess in France, Benjamin Franklin reportedly took his opponent's King after she inadvertently put it in check. When she said, "Ah, we don't take kings so" Franklin replied, "We do in America." #28 In 1770, a man invented a machine that could play a strong game of chess against a human opponent. This mysterious player was nicknamed The Turk (as was the machine itself). It wasn't until 1857 that it was revealed to be a hoax (a chess master was hiding in the machine). #29 The word “gambit” is specifically a chess term, now generalized to mean a "sacrifice for advantage". #30 In 1999, chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov played The World in a game of chess that lasted over four months. Over 50,000 people from more than 75 countries participated in the game with moves being decided by majority vote. Garry ended up winning on turn 62 when 51% of The World decided to resign. #31 Before 1600, a game of chess could be won by capturing all of the opponent’s pieces, leaving a bare king; a style of play known as "annihilation". In Medieval times, players considered it nobler to win by checkmate, so annihilation became a half-win for a while until it was abandoned. #32 The longest recorded tournament chess match lasted 20 hours and 15 minutes and resulted in a draw.

After a busy week, I arrived in the family room with a hot drink in hand, to explore the new King Competition chess computer. The boys next to me, watching USA vs Canada men's hockey, now and then gave their thoughts on the progress of the unboxing, appearance, and progress of games on this latest in the line of Millennium chess computers. It was perfect timing for a Friday evening to enjoy solo chess, yet still around my family - meanwhile the girls were sleeping. From the moment I picked it up at work, I noted the sleek, modern packing of the King Competition and hoped the computer design itself would similarly impress.   Being familiar with the many chess computers of the last 25 years, I have ample experience for first impressions and critique.   I lifted the cover and the thin protective foam layer, revealing the electronic chessboard that felt like it belongs in the 2020s. I set the chessboard on the soft gray ottoman in our living room of white and gray accents - where I ended up playing three games in a row at a leisurely 15 minutes apiece plus seconds per move. The King Competition (February 2022) follows right after the smaller eONE (January 2022). I'll save further comparisons for later. I was excited to hold and set up the chess pieces for the first time. Inside a protective box was a drawstring Millennium bag with the pieces. These feel heavier than I expected! I emptied the 34 pieces (extra Queens) onto the chessboard and began setting them up. Modernizing a Staunton design is a BOLD move. In my view, Millennium did this well. The pieces feel outstanding in the hand and have a significant base weight that makes them more stable than I expected. They have a thin, quality felt that provides just enough friction to keep them from slipping on the board while still making moves freely across square surfaces. But what I like most is the new piece style aesthetics that feel youthful and energetic. At this point, I was very pleased with the overall size of this electronic chess set as well as the square design - even with the buttons and display in the front.   After setting up the pieces, I plugged in the wall AC power and the Competition lighted up the squares and the display. The power and data ports are less visible in this design, being recessed under the right-hand middle side. I should mention that the "floating" design makes it look thinner than it is. Evan's first observation was, "that's a thin chessboard!". With the board powered up and the pieces ready, I played E4. The computer responded right away with a move shown by the lights and the display. The move input is made with a light press on the squares. Although I prefer the luxury of auto-sensory move inputs, I found that the weighted pieces and the light square press needed were pleasant through the entire 84 move game first game! I selected one of the easier levels, but it still played a good game. I was getting into the game with some tense moments that I still remember. In fact, the computer and I both queened pawns at the same time, but I had the half move advantage and was able to win this first game. Playing against the Competition immersed me in an exhilarating chess experience for a while. I tried out the two main menu options, Expert and Comfort settings. This changes the menu between all settings and common settings. In addition to many levels and styles of play settings, there are many other options available to you. You can save the game, get hints, change the level, take back, analyze it, verify the piece's positions against what's shown on the display, set up your position, change to 2-player mode, connect to ChessLink (optional available separately), and more. I changed the display contrast and brightness, lowered the LED brightness, and the sound level. After winning this first game against the Competition - without any hints or takebacks, I looked over at hockey - the USA leading Canada?? The boys are learning more about this sport as well. "Why do they call it icing?" "Why is there no goalie in the net right now?" With the success of King Competition Game One, it was time to plug in the ChessLink I brought along and play online against someone on LiChess. I plugged the power cable into ChessLink instead and then inserted the 4-pin cable between the ChessLink and the Competition. With ChessLink switched on, the chessboard came alive with power through this cable. I then checked that Bluetooth was active on my phone, opened my ChessLink app, clicked the connect board "link" icon and it recognized the ChessLink right away. The preview showed the starting position. Next, I clicked Play on LiChess. (I had reset my app, so I needed to get a new token from LiChess profile API access tokens to re-establish the connection - this is usually a one-time action by the way).     I then chose to play a rated game with a 15/10 time control. That way I have 15 minutes to play the game, with 10 seconds extra per move. Since I need to input the other players' moves on the chessboard as well as my own, I want 5-10 extra seconds for this action. Playing chess online with a chess computer is a relatively new phenomenon in the 2020s with various chess computers now ready for Internet play. Next to playing chess in person, I find the human element of Internet play to be very exciting. While I can't see him or her, I know that I am playing the board with someone who has a thoughtful response to every move and is similarly engaged by the possibilities of the changing battle! Here is the first game that I played as Black. White put on quite the attack on my Kingside which dissipated with defensive strategy and then put my pieces in such a strong position that Black resigned on move 38.   Right after this, I played another game as White. In this one, I barely survived a Queenside attack. He missed a tactic that could have resulted in a win, and then I again managed to defend and win material and move that to the endgame for another resignation.   After three games of chess won and the USA defeating Canada in that hockey game, it was quite an evening. (Canada, you win most often - this one is ours!) Joanna came and watched the chess game for a little while. It reminded her of the Centaur chess computer which we've had in our home as well. I pointed out that this one has a lot more options and could also play online with the Link device. The King Competition feels like a great fit for our home when we want to play chess alone, with someone, or online. Not only are the possibilities extensive, but the aesthetics also are neutral and balanced, the pieces look and feel great, and the size is just right. I played the board on a surface as well as on my lap and it was very stable. The board is 17" square which I find to be perfect for home unless a full-size board like the luxury Tournament 55 is in your budget. The pieces are just less than 3" tall. Now it's Saturday morning and my 7-year-old daughter saw the game for the first time. She asked to set up the pieces and play. She's very new to chess, but she set up all the pieces like this. Then she started a game and had a great time playing the computer on an Easy level. I am surprised by how well she is doing with this chess computer so far. A nerf war just started between the boys and one of the bases is near the ottoman. She is immersed in her own battle on the chessboard and seems un-phased by the bullets flying overhead. The chessboard is taking hits now and then but surprisingly the pieces are staying steady. I noticed during her game now that she sometimes presses the destination square first and then starting square last. It works just the same.   Captured pieces are being placed on the outer rim of the board which works nicely with this square design with a decent-size perimeter. They have a good home when out of play. By the way, I chose an easy level for her with ELO of about 1150. With a few suggestions, the game looks quite equal so far. The computer just gave up a pawn and she took advantage of that on her own. The pressure sensor move input is natural to her. It might even be better at her age since the auto sensors could pick up some of her playing around with pieces between actual moves. After all, she has two knights still in front of her King, and the King likes to play with the knights sometimes when they are waiting for others to move. Joanna is watching her play again and says, I really like these pieces. They are smooth and sleek. It's clear to me this computer belongs in our home. And I'll be playing it again soon! I think the King Competition is for anyone who wants a modern chess-playing device with great configurations for solo play. It's not limited there, however, since Online Play is ready simply by adding the ChessLink module. Also, if you want to roam free from the wall outlet, add the ChessVolt powerpack for many hours of play on battery power.   King Competition Compared to Other Millennium Chess Computers Where does the King Competition fit in the family of chess computers by Millennium? As I mentioned, it follows on the eONE which arrived in January 2022. The main differences are that the eONE is smaller and has no onboard chess-playing engine. It's intended for app and online play only. The eONE has auto-sensing move input though. This means you simply move the pieces and they are detected by the board. Also, the eONE has Bluetooth built-in already. Thus, the ChessLink is not needed. King COMPETITION is essentially a modernized version of the King PERFORMANCE which has been a fan favorite for a couple of years already. If you're familiar with the Performance, you already know what to expect features-wise. If you're looking for a more familiar look in wood with wooden pieces, then the Performance might be a better choice for you! Furthermore, I consider the King COMPETITION to be in the mid-range of computers, above the entry-level, powerful classic range of "Genius" models, but just below the Luxury line of Exclusives. If you can afford $400-500, the King Competition is the ideal computer for you.   Where to Buy your King Competition Computer Chess House gives you the peace of mind you need to receive yours quickly and easily with 90 days guarantee to change your mind, and then a full warranty and personal help beyond that. If you happen to lose a piece in the future, Chess House is known for getting another one to you with no hassle. Get your King Competition today! We're honored to deliver you the best in chess so you can enjoy it in your home or wherever you play.

Which chess sets are a good choice for the classroom? Here are tips to help you save time finding the right equipment, how to set up and even store it. Plus, I'll share some of my favorite teaching resources for class. A regulation size club chess set is the starting point. These have 20" vinyl boards. If you have smaller table or desk surfaces, you can obtain 17" chessboards. The recommended plastic pieces are solid and easily replaced if needed. It's called a Club Chess Set and is ideal for the classroom. Green is demonstrated here although many colors can be available. Green is the most brain friendly color for longer periods of concentration. Although you only need the full set of pieces and board, bags like the one shown can help keep the chess sets organized, portable, and ready to play. Where to find chess supplies In the collection Chess Sets for Classrooms, you'll find these three chess sets shown in the video above, plus some other options - all suitable for class. > Basic Chess Set (in 20")> Quality Regulation Chess Set (20")> 17" Classroom Chess Set Chess House offers special pricing for bulk orders. So whether you need a single, 10, 20, or 40+, you'll find the ideal mix of quality, price, and guarantee. Schools purchasing departments can efficiently buy from Chess House with a Purchase Order since Chess House is recognized as a vendor in most districts throughout the U.S.  

Beyond the wealth and corruption, beyond media attention, needy individuals by the masses fight for survival and hang on to a seed of hope. Among derelict, forgotten, even hellish prisons entrapping often innocent spouses, to the streets teaming with masses, is found an example of selfless love.On a tight budget, part of the year, Ruth's family raises just enough funds at home in the U.S. to then serve for months at a time in places of need. They become "one with these people" and immerse themselves in language and culture. Music, dance, and creative forms of entertainment bring laughs and joy to onlookers.Some time ago, Ruth reach out with the idea that chess sets would be a wonderful gift to leave with the people they meet.The message of hope and life is welcomed in the most unlikely places. Ruth shares,"At the center for at risk youth, the kids were so excited to get the chess boards. Most of them knew how to play and said they were going to set up a tournament. As we were talking, a boy came up and was sad as he told me he didn't know how to play. An older boy put his arm around him and said, "don't worry, I'll teach you", his face just lit up. It was really special. Some of the kids live here, some visit, and in one section it’s like a detention center for kids who have committed crimes. We had a really effective time teaching here and used chess as a platform about the battle of life and making choices that will help them "win". I wish you could have been there.In another place, they told us how the gift of this chess board has given them something to look forward to each day and helped them so much.They are serving long sentences in a prison in Southern Brazil. So many guys we talk to tell us the hardest thing they deal with is keeping their minds sane. The conditions are so horrible and unless they have money, they don't get a lawyer to fight for their case, so the hope of getting out is very little. These two guys wrote that getting a game of chess really helped them focus their time and minds.My dad and I went up to a top layer of a prison way in the back. We talked to a large group of serious gang leaders and really "bad" tough guys (all the prisons here are divided by gangs and a lot of guys can't mix together so we have to go to them separately). We gave them two chess boards for their whole group and their response just blew me away. You just kind of think these tough guys might look down on a game or something, but they acted like we gave them a 1000 bucks! They were really touched and grateful and my dad took a second to explain to them how to set up a round robin type tournament and they wrote it all down and set up a bracket with their names and who would play who. It was really cool and just makes me happy thinking that they will start to put time into something so good. When we share so much with them about the love of Jesus, Gods profound forgiveness for them, how to change their mind, forget their past, engage their will and start to read the scriptures, then giving them the chess boards gives them a practical reminder of all we said so the words come back to them after we leave.In another place we noticed right away that something was wrong. All the guys were unbelievably thin, way more than any other prisons we had been too. They began to come up to us and ask us if we possibly had any food we could give them! It was just tragic. They explained they only got one meal a day and sometimes not even that. We could not figure everything out, but realized that there was some serious corruption going on between the gang leader, prison guards, and a huge (very evil) church. Anyway, long story short, it was getting late and was almost the hour when no one can go in our out, but we were able to leave, find a grocery store close by, and buy a lot of food to give them. We made it back and gave it directly to the guys so it could not get stolen. It’s tough because we can't really afford extra stuff like this, but in this case we just had to and we know the Lord always provides. We are going back to that same prison on Thursday, and I am going to try to see if I can get some food and fruit from the fruit market donated, as well as what we are going to bring.We had a beautiful time inside a women's prison the other day. It was pouring rain so we had to cram into a small space but we were able to really touch some precious women who were hurting. I am so grateful to the chess company that  donated some beautiful quality chess boards to us that we can give to those we meet.  It has been such a blessing and those that receive them are extremely grateful. It allows people in difficult situations to get lost in the game and focus their minds on something besides their pain.  We can learn so much from the game of chess. If we just take what life gives us and meet it move for move, we can be defeated. But a strategy  for victory requires that we go beyond ourselves and find the unexpected move. We have a flyer that we give out to prison guards, police and military with a chess piece on the front. We use the idea of chess to explain how, often we are put in positions that require us to make difficult decisions. But if we do not repay "evil for evil", but evil for good, we move ourselves into a place of victory and can break a cycle of hate.We also gave some chess boards out at a really cool event for poor children. I love giving them to like 10 and 11 year olds. It’s amazing here how many kids know how to play but don't have their own board. This one little girl named Isobel, I think she was 9, was so excited to take it home so she could play with her grandfather who taught her how to play on a piece of paper with coins as pieces!"Here's a photo of Ruth's family. They carry on with their service and we are happy to gift chess sets knowing the lives they are touching. Here are the small, lightweight chess sets that Ruth is giving away. If you know if a cause where these chess sets could make a significant life impact, don't hesitate to contact us.

Have you ever found it challenging to lead a chess class because it included both beginners and advanced players? Elliott Neff of Chess4Life easily breaks down this question that has recently surfaced more often. Within a few minutes, Elliott will help you understand a breakthrough concept that's proven in classes at Chess4Life.    How to Reach Varied Chess Skills in the Same Class How do you lead a chess class including beginners through advanced players? First, divide the class into categories as follows: Don't know how the pieces move Know piece movement but need the basics More experienced Ideally you need one or more assistants, even if they have little to no chess experience. With 2 groups, have the advanced group start with a practice game. Have them write down moves with chess notation. Start beginner students with a very short lesson on one of the piece movement rules. Then practice with a fun activity to build the skill. Next, advanced players now have a lesson while beginners play practice games with all the pieces they known how to move. What if you have 3 groups and just 1 assistant? Identify an activity that can work with all skill levels! For example, With pawns setup on the board, advanced players help beginners learn rules. The students become teachers! During practice time, beginners play together while advanced students play each other. Have an activity with a goal. The advanced players win the game by playing a pawn across the board first! Beginners simply work together to help each other get pawns across the board Notice ONE activity with multiple levels of challenge. Remember, strive in class to engage every student!

Until the DGT Pi came on the scene, electronic boards by DGT depended on PC software. Now the large, tournament size chessboards can be played independently with the brains built into the Pi module, attached to a DGT 3000 clock. It's all neatly packaged into this red and black chess clock-looking device called the Pi. This means the usefulness of these chessboards is now expanded dramatically. The Pi can be updated over time, and already features voice announced moves that can be heard via a connected speaker or headphones. Here's a quick intro. The video above features the DGT Smartboard (a newer plastic model of eboard). Compared to the DGT eboards in widespread use to date, this Smartboard has a dynamic scanning software which scans the differences in a board instead of scanning the whole board each time. This results in a noticeably faster response over regular eboards, but that technology will eventually come to the classic wooden eboards as well. Power use of a standard USB board is around 50-60mA. This SmartBoard is only 2 to 3mA, a significant savings. For the full product description, see the DGT Pi See also, All DGT eboards and accessories If you have questions about advanced functions, don't hesitate to ask. An expert at Chess House will try to be helpful and answer. Comment, discuss, or ask questions below.

Elliott Neff shows you how to develop a skill of playing "blindfold chess". First he demonstrates the fundamentals and then gives you the steps to forming the mental capability of visualization.He has played 12 games simultaneously, blindfold - not losing a single game! Here are the techniques to acquiring this ability.   National Master Elliott Neff, author of A Pawn's Journey, has taught over 10,000 students and founded Chess4Life to bring kids life skills through chess to more than one million kids.

Everyone in my family has many memories around chess from elementary school events to national championships.But the one who claims the first win is my mother, Margaret. She tells the story of how in 1961, when she was in 7th grade in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, she won her classroom tournament in "upset" fashion. Margaret can be seen in this classroom photo 3rd from right. The winner of the girls section and the winner of the boys section were to play for the class title. In playing for the title, Margaret's final opponent suffered embarrassment when she defeated him with the same strategy he had been using to win the boy's section! She had been "tipped off" to his strategy by another one of the boys who lost to him(!)The "prize" in those days was a felt "patch" King you could sew onto your jacket. It's a fun story, nicely woven into our family history. Although there were no more opportunities to play in those days - she's still the first winner in our family!The story behind the story though is that our mother has supported our journey through chess and life behind the scenes through these years. Like all mothers who help nurture the best in their children, she is amazing, never asking for the credit she deserves.Just one unassuming example of her influence is seen in the photo below. Until now, only I and a handful of others know that the bright white drawstring chess bags included with many of today's Chess House products has its own story, thanks to my mother. I patterned this bag after the original white fabric bags she patiently sewed to keep our first chess sets prepared for play. It can be small things that make a meaningful difference. -Raphael Neff

Today, 97-year-old Bill DeGraaff stepped through my office door, accompanied by his daughter Hilda. His love for chess dates back to his early years in Holland. Let me share with you how this man made a life-changing difference. His visits are rare and unannounced these days. Like today. I drop everything and welcome him. Though he walks on his own and his mind is quite clear, Bill is now fragile. Each visit it's evident that he misses his wife more than anything. Although it takes significant coordination and effort he has come unexpectedly again today to say hello and see what's new - as he did in the early days of Chess House. I welcome him again into the office and invite Bill and Hilda to take a seat. With patience, I share the unique STACK board1 and the Millennium Exclusive2. Bill marvels at how chess computers have changed through the years (he has owned many) and plays a few moves on the Exclusive. He insists that his chess playing days are behind him. But I know that chess will always give him some joy and put a smile back on his face. With a little encouragement he makes some moves and almost allows himself to continue playing this game. Bill asks me to help him remember what opening is in play. I tell him that he started with the French defense. "Oh yes! That's the one your brother Elliott reminded me that I taught him" says Bill. (Admittedly it's a favorite of mine as well.) After a few more moves Bill became emotional. Playing chess now reminds him of past wonderful memories. He has outlived most in his family. He's even bid chess farewell. But it still owns a bit of his heart. Every time Bill enters the office, sometimes years between - sometimes just months, I recognize how he was present in a key part of our youth. To Bill, he was just enjoying chess and sharing it with young players who were interested. One generation ago that was us youngsters, my brothers and I. Today, however when he was wrestling a bit with his memories, I reminded Bill, "You ARE making a difference"   Bill played a significant role in our young lives encouraging chess and helping us better our game and strive to take down rivals with relentless dedication. Shown below is Bill with Ted Neff (middle) and Elliott Neff (right) I reminded him that Chess House exists today because he was very influential in teaching the game and sharpening our skills back in those days. As further evidence of this impact, I handed Bill a copy of my brother Elliott's book A Pawn's Journey3. Bill's early influence on Elliott Neff helped shape Elliott's path to reaching over 10,000 kids and founding Chess4Life4 with the mission to teach life skills through chess. To emphasize this impact, consider this. For several years Boeing is sponsoring Chess4Life's early learning initiative5 due to chart-topping results preparing kids for kindergarten. And that's just the surface. I'm writing this non-choreographed story just hours after these photos were taken. It's my "living tribute" to Bill.   Before Bill left today, we talked about Elliott's recent book, A Pawn's Journey. I think it's a fitting chapter in our long friendship. This book portrays the essence of making a difference with chess. The story draws you into the main character April's high school encounters surrounding chess. It's a highly-relatable narrative based on collective real-life experience of many of Elliott's students. Before he left, I gave Bill this cap. We all laughed and agreed it made him look quite young again. We both know that each time he stops in could be his last. But he says that's okay. God knows and all's well with his soul as a fellow man of faith. "Please stop in again Bill!" "I will try!" he said. -Raphael Neff   What I've learned from Bill Relationships matter most. Generosity pays back over time. Thankfulness is the best attitude. Long marriages are possible and worth it. Chess is one of those great ways to bring people together.. And you are making a difference today whether you realize it or not. My personal passion with Chess House is not only designing unique products and the most exceptional shopping experience, it's helping you enjoy or make a difference with chess - wherever you are in life. References in this article The STACK chess board Millennium Exclusive chess computer A Pawn's Journey by Elliott Neff Chess4Life teaching life skills through chess Early Learning Chess Initiative

The Centaur's natural chess playing experience adapts to your level while auto-sensing moves played. The squares highlight moves to make your play intuitive and free of distraction. Simply turn on the Centaur and begin playing. The intelligent adaptive program adjusts to your playing ability at any level so you will always have a suitable playing partner to challenge you, strengthen your game, and keep you sharp - without any need to use a computer screen, tablet or phone. Many chess computers are designed to play at the highest strength. As a result they are either impossible to beat or at lower levels they play less natural and human - not so fun. Centaur was made to give everyone a good game. Whether you are a beginner or a strong player, whether you are a home player or a club player, Centaur will adjust to you as soon as you make your first move. Its smart algorithm will automatically adjust to your level and always gives you a challenging game that is both educative and great fun! It has a hint system and the option to set up any position. Use the Centaur to play, to learn, to train, to analyze and to improve your skill level. Above all, use it to have fun! Adapts to your strength Sensor board e-Paper display with position, move list, and more On-square illumination of moves Rechargeable internal battery Weighted chess pieces It has a rechargeable battery, e-Paper display, intuitive settings in many languages and weighted plastic chess pieces. Although Centaur is not design for connectivity with devices or online chess portals rumor has it that there are already open source innovations being explored on the Centaur. The engine is built on Stockfish and will be capable of very strong play. What that is exactly we don't know. The pieces that come with Centaur are the only ones that will be compatible. Other DGT pieces are slightly larger and have different electronics. How to buy your the DGT Centaur Chess Computer You can order the Centaur chess computer now at Chess House knowing your purchase is backed up by unparalleled guarantees and service. Click Add to Cart below and then Checkout Sold out

DGT celebrates its 25th anniversary with a very special version of the wireless e-Board. The Limited Edition DGT Bluetooth e-Board is covered in leather and is made by a master craftsman in Milan, Italy. The modern chess pieces are handmade by the best woodcarvers in India. The DGT3000 chess clock that completes the set is customized in a matching black and red color design. Only 50 of these sets are made! Each board is completely unique with its own serial number and Certificate of Authenticity. The DGT electronic chessboards have connected events and audiences, players and computers for decades. From the world championships to personal home use, DGT boards have enhanced chess play and study with real chess boards connected to powerful chess computing. Now, celebrating 25 years, this eye-catching, completely unique, limited edition board is available to chess connoisseurs and collectors. Buy the DGT Limited Edition 25th Anniversary ChessBoard

Chess4Life recommends this easel style demonstration chessboard tripod. It works well for 28" and 36" demonstration boards. These wall hanging demonstration boards do have a lightweight string to attach to a hook. But this limits you to the options available in your particular room or environment. To hold your demonstration chessboard we recommend this Lightweight Aluminum Flip-Chart Presentation Easel, 70 Inches, Black. With an easel, you're in control and you have a relatively sturdy setup for anywhere you need to display a chess board.  

Often all that's needed to elicit extra effort from students is this simple tool - the prize box. The "prize box" can be that creative motivation for children when teachers set clear, mini-goals that can be accomplished by students. Teachers stock the prize box with a variety of inexpensive stickers, keychains or other fun or useful items. With chess, there are a variety of fun possibilities!     To get started with your prize box, here are some ideas: > Colorful Wristbands > Stickers > Queen or Knight Erasers > Key Chain Chess Pieces > Color Silicone Chess Pieces  

With chess in the classroom, a number of questions frequently surface among Chess House followers. In fact there are a few perplexing challenges that teachers and coaches face even with an enthusiastic group of kids who want to learn chess! Having a grasp of how to deal with these unique challenges in the classroom can make all the difference to your sanity and success. That's why I reached out to Elliott Neff for some answers. He's overly qualified to address these topics and on-the-spot graciously offered to help Chess House subscribers and followers with these insights.   Summary Points > You don't need to be a strong chess player to be an effective teacher.> Tip #1 - Introduce just ONE concept at a time, then have students practice it before moving on.> Have students play a FUN activity or game that builds the ONE concept.> Tip #2 - Before moving on to a new concept, start every lesson by using a fun activity that reviews the prior lesson's ONE key concept.> By introducing just ONE concept and then students having fun playing engaging activities, you will avoid overwhelming any students, and indeed build the excitement and interest in coming back to learn more! You can download the free resource, 6 Key Chess Club Guide. If you have questions about this topic or any other Chess in Education questions that perplex you, please discuss below this article. We at Chess House, along with Elliott, are here to help your program have the tools and ideas to succeed! Elliott Neff is a National Master in Chess, author of A Pawn’s Journey, and Founder/CEO of Chess4Life, helping kids develop life skills through the game of chess. He inspires audiences through sharing the life strategies we can learn from the game of chess. His incorporation of chess into these presentations frequently involves playing multiple opponents at once, sometimes while blindfolded! Elliott holds the Professional Chess Coaching Certification Level V, the highest awarded certification by the United States Chess Federation. Elliott’s work is endorsed by > Grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian> Mary Miller, co-creator of The Dream Manager program> Robert Katende, Founder and Director of SOM Chess Academy in Uganda, coach to Phiona Mutesi of the Queen of Katwe.> and many others

In this video, Raphael talks about the DGT Smartboard and how you can use it to play better chess and enjoy the game in new ways. The DGT Smartboard more than a beautiful chessboard. Faster electronic sensors enable you to play naturally on the board while connecting to a chess PC software, or electronic chess device, expanding your chess game possibilities in a dramatic way. You can play games against the computer, against a friend over the internet, against the chess software... the possibilities are astounding. Play a friend, analyze your games, and improve your chess with this board. With voice move announcements, you'll even be able to play completely screen free. Compared to the DGT eboards in widespread use to date, this Smartboard has a dynamic scanning software which scans the differences in a board instead of scanning the whole board each time. It's faster than the regular eboards but that technology will eventually come to the eboards too. Power use of a USB board is around 50-60mA. The Smart Board is only 2 to 3mA. In both cases this will eventually become part of the main eboard line. For the full product description, see the DGT SmartBoard Product See also, All DGT eboards and accessories Comment, discuss, or ask questions below!

The variety of ways you can play and integrate Millennium's Chess Genius Exclusive chess computer is expanding with the new "Chess Link". When Millennium introduced the beautiful wooden chess computer it was a goal to make it a platform to introduce upgrades and features. Certainly it appears they are delivering on this. In addition to the firmware update that was just released, here's what is coming next! Chess Link connects the chessboard of Chess Genius Exclusive with the automatic piece recognition to various devices via Bluetooth or USB! You'll be able to access powerful engines for analysis and online play with compatible programs.   Released in mid September, you can look forward to these connections becoming available. 1. Android devices through the app "Chess for Andoid" by Aart Bik with the possibility to load UCI engines. (future online play expected) 2. For IPhone and iPad, the app "Hiarcs Chess Explorer" by Mark Uniacke which offers, among other things, an adaptive game strength with display of the ELO value of the player. It reaches over 3000 ELO! 3. A powerful PC software is in production. ChessLink is available for purchase here.  

The set shown here twenty sixth in the Sanfilippo Chess Series. Each set is an original work of art hand built from terra cotta clay, sculpted, carved and then glazed to a high fire for a permanent finish and durability. Dave Sanfilippo has crafted chess sets for a while now. He has plans to continue until he feels inspired to make his final set - which he says, will be his biggest to date, a very prominent, strong design. He currently shows/sells his work in two galleries in Pennsylvania and his sets are auctioned at Material Culture, Philadelphia, PA. Some of Dave's other sets can be found at Battle for Evergreen Mountain - The Wolf Sanctuary of PARaiders of the Aegean Sea - Langman GalleryInto the Peaked Highlands: Land of the Dragons - Celtic Myth & MoonlightThe Quest for Melissa’s Honey - Honey Acres Museum You can also find Dave's 21st set "Skirmish in the Bohemian Forest"  in the ShachMuseum in Strobeck, Germany which is a pretty big honor! The first thirteen sets were hand built from terra cotta clay, low fired and painted. Set I           The Greek City States Set II          Attack of the Siege Towers Set III         Battle for the Fertile Valley Set IV         Battle in the Black Forest Set V         The Fight for the Mountain Springs Set VI         The Defense of Shea's Woods Set VII        The Assault on Orpheus's Orchard Set VIII      The Fallen Armies Set IX         The March on the Nastos River Set X          Conquest for the Wheat Fields Set XI        Control for the Bridges of Perenthus Set XII       Invasion of the Vikings : Conquest for the Emerald Isle Set XIII      Pursuit for the Lapis Stone Sets fourteen and beyond are hand built from terra cotta clay and glazed to a high fire for a permanent finish and durability for play. Set XIV       Rebellion at the Copper Mine Set XV       The Compromise for Safe Passage Set XVI      Ambush for the Alps Set XVII     Division in the Sate Set XVIII     The Intrusion into Paulus's Bay Set XIX       Theodoro's Coup Set XX        Uprising at the  Iron Furnace Set XXI      Skirmish in the Bohemian Forst   (This set is in the Schachmuseum in Strobeck, Germany) Set XXII      Encounter with the Secret Temple Builders - The Masons Set XXIII    The Trespass into Herleva's Wolf Den Set XXIV     The Battle for Evergreen Mountain  (This set is in the Wolf Sanctuary of Pennsylvania) Set XXV     The Quest for Melissa's Honey  (This set is in the Honey Acres Museum in Ashippun, Wisconsin) Set XXVI     Dragon Slayers Set XXVII   Raiders of the Aegean Sea Set XXVIII   Into the Peaked Highlands - Land of the Dragons Set XXIX     Revolt at the Coal Mine  (This set is in the No.9 Coal Mine and Museum in Lansford, Pennsylvania) Set XXX     Journey into the Valley of Sandstone Set XXXI    Standoff at the Coal Mine Set XXXII   Confrontation in the Pyrenees Set XXXIII   The Encroachment into Alianna's Pepper Field Set XXXIV   Pearl Hunters of the Adriatic Sea Set XXXV    The Crossing into Adrasteia's Plum Fields - found in Long Trout Winery in Auburn, PA XXXVI Mutiny at the Limestone Furnace - found in the World Chess Hall of Fame in St.Louis, Missouri XXXVII    Pirates of the Ionian Sea The Final Set - "The Peaceful Tribes" - found in State Game Lands #106 PA For this set the pieces are as follows Dragon Side Pawns - Warrior DragonsRooks - Dragon’s NestKnights - Dragon HorseBishops - Senior DragonQueen - Dragon QueenKing - Dragon King Dragon Slayer SidePawns - Infantry with Dragon SpearsRooks - Fire TowerKnights - HorseBishops - High Priest with Magic SphereQueen - The Dragon Slayer with the Mighty SwordKing - Chieftain   The Process Each piece is hand built and sculpted from terra cotta clay. When the clay becomes leathery/hardens the pieces are carved. The pieces take several weeks to dry as they are not hollow. The pieces are then low fired, with a cone rating of 4-6 for over fifteen hours. After the low fire, the pieces are under glazed, glazed, and fired high for over twelve hours with a cone rating of 5-6. A Cone rating means that you can fire that clay at any temperature up to that cone. The closer you get to the maximum rated cone, the stronger and denser your clay will be. You cannot fire a clay higher than its maximum rated Cone, or it will melt. Low-fire clay can only be fired up to Cone 04, or sometimes a little higher. Unlike mid and high fire, it never shrinks much or gets strong and dense even when fired to its maximum temperature. The main advantage to using a low-fire clay when low firing is that your glazes may craze less than if you used a Cone 10 or Cone 6 clay. As always, you must fire your glaze to the Cone that is specified for that glaze, regardless what clay you use. Just make sure you use a clay rated at least as high as the glaze. During the firings some fracturing, or cracks may develop. These cracks are filled with silver, copper or brass and each piece is unique. The pieces have a permanent lasting finish and are durable for play.

Saturday, before Memorial Day, 2018: Waking up early Saturday morning, Matthew, as usual was up at 6:30 and ready to go. "Dad, can we take the truck?" This morning, I was planning to spend a half hour of quiet time before anyone else awoke. But as anyone with four kids knows, plans must be flexible. I have been looking for more opportunities to share chess with my kids. For my wife and I, finding a suitable, consistent time has been challenging with all the changes in our life. But this morning, I decided, "no excuses!". I would just seize the opportunity to exercise his mind AND body by grabbing a chess set and heading to the park, and just be in-the-moment with my son. I've learned that one-on-one time with my kids is worth every second. Later in life, I believe I will reflect on these years and think, "Yes, I took time for my family -- sometimes seemingly at the expense of my career". I am thankful for the wise words often heard, "Don't miss these years!" When I told him that we'd head to town, play some chess at the park, run some obstacles on the playground, grab a quick breakfast and then head to the church to help make some adjustments to the irrigation sprinklers - he was DE-LIGHTED. Kid's love to DO things and get out... if we let them - and allow ourselves time to connect with them often enough. Soon we were at work and I offered for him to pick out a chess set for the morning. He picked an orange flex board and a neon green bag with one of my favorites, the "Inspiration" pieces. While he wasn't watching I packed in an extra surprise. Little rewards come in handy! Then it was off to the park!  He spotted this picnic table and set up the board. "This is the most amazing day, Dad!!" Then it occurred to me, this means more to him then I realize. He was enjoying every minute and I happened to grab my camera from work. I had merely been flexible enough to make him a priority with this spur of the moment change to the trip this morning. I had countless things on my mind - but I decided to put it all aside this morning. After all, it's Memorial Day Weekend. His chess game is very elementary right now. In fact, he's moving mostly pawns still. But I can see each time that he's picking up new ideas - today too! He blocked my Queen from taking his Queen, with his Bishop. Many kids can play a strong game at six years old and many are just starting. I haven't pushed him hard to learn, but now is the time to get more serious because he's really interested. Matthew loves to play outdoors, spends minimal time on digital devices, and other than his occasional orneriness is a happy child who loves to make people laugh. Half way through the game, his attention started to wane briefly and I said, "Matthew, win this game and I have a surprise for you!" He was completely engaged again. "Matthew, Do you know what Memorial Day is about?" To my surprise he replied, "Yes, I learned at school, it's remembering people who sacrificed for our freedom and helped us be able to enjoy times like this." We played a few more moves and then I asked him what he had learned in this chess game so far. He repeated some things including the Bishop block. I then told Matthew, "We've stretched our minds for a bit, it's time to get some exercise at this park!" But first, remember the surprise? "Oh yes!" I told him to look in the middle compartment of the neon green chess set carrying case.   He zipped it open, and pulled out some stickers that he had never seen before. Here's the one he chose.   We then put away the chess set and proceeded to the exercise portion of our park adventure.   Matthew enjoyed every moment. Soon it was time for breakfast and finally, the irrigation project.   Today I was reminded of a valuable lesson. Rather than wondering why "I don't have time for [blank]", just start earlier and make it happen! I don't have a weekly schedule for chess right now, but that's no excuse not to seize the moment when it is there. This Memorial Day Saturday has been hugely memorable for both Matthew and I. He observed during our game that the park was a peaceful place, in contrast to many other places in the world. I reminded him that we can appreciate what we have, we can give to people in need through organizations that are doing good work for them, and we can pray for needs we know about. With thanks for the many people who have sacrificed to make this possible, I want my sons to grow up grateful.   Back to chess. I love that chess exercises young minds, a catalyst for creativity and thinking in new ways. It supports academic efforts and the list goes on. Most of all, I love the real face-time it provides. Chess is a natural time to chat, learn together, and talk about life - like we experienced today. For me, Chess House is a mission to bring chess to every home. Every home and family that has a chess set has another relationship strengthened. And that's what we need today. The dilemma facing our kids is turning into a torrential storm of media. And we're just seeing the beginning of this. The things youth encounter now beg them to be equipped with life skills and strong family relationships early in life. Please be there for your loved ones. Make memories while you can and prepare them to succeed. Chess can play a role - and we can help you. The Inspiration Chess Set that Matthew chose is a great place to start! You can pick from many colors and make it your own. Get a chess set in your home and let us cheer you on.   Where are you in your journey? Feel free to comment on this blog post below.

Here’s an incredible story of a 4-year-old developing grit and the “Can Do” Attitude through his older brother’s example. Four year old Joel has been giving up (resigning) his chess games anytime he loses his most powerful piece, the queen, appearing to think “there’s no way I can win without my queen”. At the 2018 state elementary chess championships, once again, Joel resigned a game when his queen got trapped.   At the same time, just a short distance away, Coach Elliott observed a game being played by Joel’s 6-year-old brother Caleb. Elliott shares, “Caleb’s game was fairly equal when I first walked by. Later on I saw he was behind a queen. After the game was finished, I asked Caleb, How did you do? Win, Draw, or Learn? I was quite surprised when he said he had won the game! I replied, “You won? I thought you were behind a queen during the game!” Caleb simply replied, “Yes, I missed a pin so I had to lose my queen - the Bishop was pinning my queen but I still won!” I realized at that moment that little brother Joel was listening, so I intentionally questioned Caleb further. "So what did you do? You didn’t just give up when you lost your queen?" Caleb replied, “I kept looking for ways. I used my rooks and I really just tried to find a way. Eventually I managed to pin his queen to his king with my rook - I built a battery with my rooks so I could do this - after winning his queen I ended up checkmating his king with my Rook. I gave a big high five to Caleb as he finished his story, congratulating him on not giving up and persevering to eventually come back and win the game. Then I turned to Joel who had been listening intently, “Did you notice that Joel? Isn’t that great that when Caleb was down a queen, he kept looking for chances to win. He didn’t give up! So what do you think? Next time you are down a queen are you going to give up?” Joel looked as thoughtful as a 4-year-old can and smiled as he answered, “I won’t give up - I’ll keep trying.” Elliott continued, “Well after the next game I got a chance to talk to Joel. He had a small smile as he quietly came up and told me this story. ‘Daddy, there was this place in the game that I lost my queen, but I still won the game!’ That’s great Joel! How did it happen? Joel said, ‘We didn’t remember whose turn it was. So I let him play even though I would lose my Queen.’ As his Dad, I was so very pleased to hear this - that my son was willing to do what was better for the other player even though it was not good for him! He was being kind to another young person! Remember this is the kindergarten section and Joel showed exceptional sportsmanship by letting the other player move even though he knew he was going to lose his queen because of that move.   What happened next was remarkable. Joel didn’t give up this time, in spite of losing his queen. He found a way to win. He found a way!” What a moment for a parent, coach, or mentor - especially this youngster! Elliott says, “It’s about getting over a mental block. Through the experience of another student (his older brother) who wouldn’t give up, and succeeded, Joel gained the confidence to not give up himself when he was in a similar situation. That change in belief from ‘I can’t’, to ‘maybe it’s possible’, allowed him to break though that mental barrier and grow this valuable life skill, what I call the “Can Do” Attitude." Caleb and Joel’s perseverance and sportsmanship exemplify the concepts, culture, and results of Chess4Life programs run by caring educators who are transforming kids’ lives with chess in schools throughout America. Elliott with Joel who won 3.5 out of 5 games. Their sister won 3 of her games and took home a trophy! Chess4Life helps educators bring life-changing tools into classrooms without any barriers of prior chess knowledge. Kids learn life skills while having fun. If you're an educator or teacher who wants to make a difference, licensing the Chess4life curriculum and tools will help your school succeed with chess!