GRANDMASTERS OF CHESS

All New Curriculum For 2010-2011
For grades kindergarten through middle school
Youth Enrichment League chess courses teach new, intermediate and advanced students everything from basic piece movement and checkmate patterns to strong openings, discovered check, back rank mates and more advanced concepts.

New for 2010-2011
Our curriculum has evolved! Whether you are new to chess or have been in the Youth Enrichment League program for years, we will have new curriculum, new lesson plans, new booklets and new prizes for 2010-2011.

Our classes have three phases:

Lesson (15-20 minutes per day)
Our lessons start with basic instruction on a chess concept. As the lesson progress, the examples get more complicated. This cements basics for new and returning students, allows returning students to apply more advanced concepts and introduces new students to these same concepts. We find a cooperative learning environment works best for these lessons.
Practice (10-15 minutes per day)
Students are asked to apply the daily lesson into simplified chess games (or drills), puzzles and workbooks designed to challenge students of varying experience.
New students play rudimentary chess games and do worksheets that apply basic concepts.
Returning students play the same simplified chess games, but are asked to apply advanced concepts and work through strategic concepts on a deeper level. The worksheets and booklets will have more advanced puzzles.
Advanced students will work as above, but will have even more complicated puzzles and booklets to work through.
Playing (25-35 minutes per day)
Players are paired up with students of similar age and skill level. Our instructors direct them on strategy, application of studied concepts and analyze each ongoing game. We emphasize sportsmanship and applying studied concepts.

OTHER YOUTH ENRICHMENT LEAGUE EVENTS INCLUDE:

CHESS TOURNAMENTS – We host chess tournaments throughout the metro area. Look for information for:
- Anoka-Hennepin School District Chess Tournament – January 29, 2011.
- Western Metro Chess Tournament – Usually held each March.
- Southern Metro Chess Tournament – Usually held each April.
- Northern Metro Chess Tournament – Usually held each April.
SUMMER BLITZ CHESS CAMPS
- A great way to strengthen chess skills over the summer. These camps are taught by some of the more accomplished chess instructors in the metro area. Call YEL for details.
NEW FOR 2010-2011: EVENING CLASSES
- Designed for Middle School and advanced grade school students. These classes meet once per week in the evening.
Call or email us at info@youthenrichmentleague.com if you would like to receive information about evening chess classes.

Our chess instructors have sterling reputations in the metro area chess community. They include:

Igor Rybakov – A graduate from the Russian Olympic School of Chess, Igor has taught national and state champions. His students and schools often finish at the top of the state tournament.
Sima Solovaskaya – With decades of experience teaching chess, Sima holds credit for national and European champions. She has a chess rating well over 2,000 and her students are among the most dedicated in the state.
Mark Ball – Mark is a highly sought after instructor with years of experience teaching hundreds of students in the southern metro area. Mark’s students often place high in local tournaments and sign up year round to learn the next great chess move from Mr. Ball.