Coaching Days and Chess Training at Kent Junior Chess and in Kent

Welcome back to everyone for another season of fun chess and exciting competitions!

We are very pleased to announce that our Grandmaster led coaching days will be offered once again this season and these are now available to be booked on our website.

Everyone is welcome to attend, whether you are a beginner or a more experienced player aspiring to represent Kent at one of our primary age county teams, or you are yourself a coach teaching juniors in schools or at clubs, there is always something to learn from our extensive programme.

The basis for our coaching is the Institute of Chess, the top coaching programme within the UK. More details about the IoC can be found at this link: http://www.instituteofchess.co.uk/

These courses have been designed and written by GM Chris Ward who is Head Coach at KJCA as well as being an experienced player and Junior Coach.

Spaces are strictly limited, so please book ahead to avoid disappointment!

There are various courses on offer across the four Coaching Days:

·       Level 1 – this is a 2 day course – it can be booked for Day 1 and Day 2 (with the exam on day 2), Day 3 and Day 4 (with the exam on day 4) or Day 1 and 4 (with the exam on day 4)

·       Level 2– this is a 2 day course – it can be booked for Day 1 and Day 2 (with the exam on day 2), Day 3 and Day 4 (with the exam on day 4) or Day 1 and 4 (with the exam on day 4)

·       Level 3 – this is a 4 day course – you must book the four coaching day course and must attend at least 3 of the 4 days (including the exam day, Day 4)

·       Level 4 – this is a 4 day course – you must book the four coaching day course and must attend at least 3 of the 4 days (including the exam day, Day 4)

·       Level 5 – this is a 4 day course – you must book the four coaching day course and must attend at least 3 of the 4 days (including the exam day, Day 4)

·       We also offer: Single days of coaching – for the chess enthusiast, looking to brush up on their chess skills.

If you are new to KJCA, then you may be wondering which course to enrol your child in and you may have many questions about the process. If this is the case, please feel free to contact us at webmaster@kjca.org. We are here to help and will endeavour to answer your queries as quickly as possible!

In the meantime, we have put forward a list of frequently asked questions and hope that you find these useful.

Frequently asked questions:

1)     Where do I register?

·       Level 1  - http://www.kjca.org/event/82

·       Level 2 - http://www.kjca.org/event/86

·       Level 3, 4 or 5 - http://www.kjca.org/event/81

·       Single day of coaching - http://www.kjca.org/event/85

2)     Which course should my child be enrolled in – I am a new parent!

Answer: It depends on their level of experience as well as how much coaching/training they have already had. If they are complete beginners, they should start at Level 1. If they do not yet know how to notate, but can move the pieces, then again, Level 1. Do they know the rules of castling? If no, then also Level 1. Do they understand the difference between checkmate and stalemate? If no, then Level 1.

If they can notate confidently, know the rules of castling, can move the pieces and understand the difference between checkmate and stalemate, then please feel free to contact us and we will arrange a quick assessment at the start of the course/prior to the course if you are able to come along to a mutually convenient location.

As a guideline:

·            Level 1 Certificate Group (CG): For those graded up to 30. 2-day course: exam at end of Day 2 or 4.

·            Level 2 CG: For those graded 31-65 or who have passed Level 1. 2 days: exam at end of Day 2 or 4.

·            Level 3 CG: For those graded 66-100 or who have passed Level 2. 4 days: exam at end of Day 4.

·            Level 4 CG: For those graded 101-135 or who have passed Level 3. 4 days: exam at end of Day 4.

·            Level 5 CG: For those graded 136-160 or who have passed Level 4. 4 days: exam at end of Day 4.

Please note the coaches reserve the right to move students around on the day to better suit their experience if required.

3)     Why are some courses 2 days long and others 4 days long?

Answer: From Level 3 onwards, the material covered is quite extensive and therefore more time is needed to cover the entire syllabus.

4)     If my child successfully completes their course, will they be automatically selected in the KJCA teams?

Answer: No they will not be automatically selected although the levels attained are taken into account. The selection process is much more extensive than just the Coaching Days. The team managers will use the information from the Coaching Days, KJCA GP results, ECF grades, results of external tournaments, school coaches, ACES (see below) and any other reliable source to ensure that we have considered all children and all information at our disposal to make the fairest decision. Final decision regarding teams will always rest with the Head Coach GM Chris Ward.

5)     How do I enrol?

Answer: See question 1 above.

6)     Who will be marking the final exams?

Answer: The exams are marked by The Institute of Chess which is an external body and provides the best chess programme in the UK.

7)     Does any of this actually help my child at the board and why do the children need to take exams in chess – it is after all, just a hobby?

Answer: Good question. Yes, it will help them at the chessboard. The skills taught are not just basic facts, but also how to improve, how to play better chess, what to look out for and how to spot useful patterns. It is important for children to take the exams, as it not only gives them confidence at the board, it helps them to spot tactics, have an excellent opening, middle and endgame. The courses ensure completeness and that there are no major gaps in their knowledge. Finally it is rewarding for the children to progress and be proficient at these exams – enabling them to feel confident with other examinations in real life. From our perspective, it gives confidence to the team managers and coaches as to how much base knowledge a child has.

8)     These four coaching days are excellent, but do you offer anything more regular?

Answer: Not at the moment. However, KJCA does recommend ACES Bromley and ACES Sevenoaks Coaching Programmes. ACES (Academy for Chess Excellence and Skills) are totally separate organisations to the KJCA. They run regular weekly coaching on a Thursday after school during term times. In addition, ACES Bromley organises GM led training days over the holidays.

Details of ACES Bromley: contact Luca Bernardini: luca@plantz.uk.com (Head coach GM Chris Ward)

Details of ACES Sevenoaks: contact Krishna Shiatis: amazikidz@hotmail.co.uk (Head coaches GM John Emms and KCM Rohan Shiatis)

9)                How much do Coaching Days with the KJCA cost?

Level 3, 4 and 5 - the cost for each course is £70 which includes the exam

Level 1 and 2 – the cost for each course is £45 including the exam

Individual training days are £25, but please note that this does not include an exam.

10)          Can my child do just one day of training on its own?

Answer: Yes. This is possible. Your child would not be able to take any examinations, but would have a fun day of chess training with some of the best coaches in Kent!

11)          Can my child do more than one level in the same academic year?

Answer: Yes, but only for levels 1 and 2, but not for any other combination of levels. For level 1 and 2, you need to enrol for days 1 and 2 for level 1 and then days 3 and 4 for level 2.