Getting The Gear

I had a question today from one of my students regarding where we got our chess sets. The truth was that we got them form the hard work and effort of the Parent Teacher Association. However, using their hard earned dollars, we purchased the Ultimate Chess Club Kit from Chess House. I contacted them ahead of time to see if I could replace the pieces that came in the kit with the 3 3/4" Heavy Tournament Chess Pieces. They did so without a problem. There was no tax, no shipping and they offered a substantial educational discount. The total price was less than $300.

The included Chess Clocks are wonderful. They light up and have an audible tone when you press the button to start your opponent's timer. From the photo I posted today of Kevin and Brendan playing today, you can tell that I have started to introduce the kids to the pressure of time. They responded very well to it and my son, Enrique, was able to sneak by with a win by forcing his opponent's time to expire. I started them out on the G30 setting, however, as our hour dwindled, I forced them into the 3 minutes per side "blitz" setting. Two of the kids were sweating as time wound down!

I printed out some take home lessons for the kids to reinforce pawn structure, pins, and fork. I also worked up a newsletter for the parents (and teachers). Finally, I started getting the word out to the faculty and students about the upcoming tournament in Midland. The kids have expressed their excitement and are looking forward to getting to compete.