(CHESS) - Chess for Beginner/Intermediate Players - Age 6-14

SUMMARY 

TIME:  TUESDAYS 3:15 - 4:15 PM - JAN - JUNE 2024 (no class during school holidays) * 

VENUE: WHIDBEY ISLAND WALDORF SCHOOL 

FEE: $80/month (flat fee for Jan-May). $40/month (June - 2 weeks). 

NOTE:  Scholarships are available, please see below. 

*following WIWS school year calendar 

Chess offers a multitude of benefits for children that extend far beyond the 64 squares of the board. It fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills and enhances concentration, memory, and strategic planning. Playing chess promotes patience and resilience, as it teaches children to cope with losses and setbacks gracefully, motivating them to improve and persevere. 

Chess also encourages creativity, as players explore various tactics and strategies. Socially, chess encourages sportsmanship and fair play, helping children develop good etiquette and respect for their peers. 

Overall, chess not only sharpens young minds but also instills valuable life skills that can benefit children academically, emotionally, and socially throughout their lives.

In this chess club with Barb Dupuis, students will learn how to play chess and more. They will be taught official tournament rules including beginning tactics of: openings, Middle Game, End Game, and special moves such as Castling, En passant, and Promotion. 

Your child will learn how to read and write chess moves including rank and file notation, how to keep an official score sheet, how to save games, chess clocks, and time controls. 

This is a place for non-competitive learning and for children who have little to no experience playing chess but are interested in learning the rules.

About the instructor

Barbara Dupuis is a retired teacher who has taught for over 30 years across elementary school grades. She has a passion for working with young children and has dedicated her career to helping children thrive. Barb experienced a love of chess by watching her own son compete at the national level. She has taught years of chess camps and after-school programs in large elementary schools and is looking forward to bringing the gift of chess to the community with WILASC's program.