Coastside Chess Club

Chess on the Coastside

When I started teaching my son the rules of chess, he took to it very well. When I told him about the other kids and young adults who have played the game he became very interested. When I bought the Chessmaster game for his PS2 (one of four games we own - the others being DDR, and a couple of Olympics games) he was hooked. That was back when he was in pre-school. Chess seemed to make sense to him. We soon discovered that there was an arrangement with a local chess master for group instruction for chess. There was a local chess meet ( we call them chess "meets" because it is similar to the "swim meets" that we always go to) at Farallone VIew School. It seemed that there were 100 chess players of all ages. My son was the youngest player there but he was not nervous at all. He was just happy to be there. He lost a few games and tied one. But his most proud moment was that he beat a 4th grader. As a parent, I felt happy for him. As a coach, I was most proud about the way that he handled the losses with a lot of thoughtfulness. Chess is a tool, as youth sports should be, to provide an opportunity for children how to handle adversity, how to succeed, and how to handle setbacks.

Let's Make a Coastside Chess Club to Rival All Others

I want to kick off an Academic Chess program at all of the elementary schools on the Coastside from Montara to Pescadero. I am encouraged by the response that I have received from folks at various Cabrillo Schools, the Home School group and folks at Sea Crest. We are in the process of setting up a weekly lunchtime instructional chess club at the elementary school with support from the Principal and parent volunteers. I will be meeting with Superintendent Dr. Bayless and with parents who wish to support this endeavor. This cannot happen without our support.

Our Mission

Coastside Chess Clubs aspires to be an outstanding educational-athletic organization that provides a high-quality experience to every athlete. A high-quality experience is one in which every athlete

Is coached using the principles of Positive Coaching
Has fun playing the game
Feels like an important part of the team regardless of performance
Learns "life lessons" that have value beyond the game
Learns the skills, tactics and strategies of the game and improves as a player

Coastside OPEN Chess Meets are Here !

"Beginners welcome, no experience required"

The Farallone View School Chess Team is coming together in preparation for the CALCHESS State Tournament in San Jose in May. The School Team practices each Thursday at lunch time.

Call us at 650-245-1551 or e-mail chess@mywaza.com

May 2007

32nd CALCHESS State Scholastic Championships in

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We are going to get together very, very soon to firm up the new year's plan. Send me an email directly if you are interested in launching one of the clubs in your school: chess@mywaza.com

We are planning a Coastside Chess Teams' Tournament for July, 2007. Look forward to more information on this and other chess club activities.

650-245-1551 or email chess@mywaza.com

"Chess: A Learning Tool"
compiled by Steve Sawyer, Oklahoma Scholastic Chess Organization President

To read this article, click here

Chess Program Report of New York City Schools The New York City Schools Chess Program Report is impressive, here is what Chrisine Palm writes in 1990. In its four-year existence, NYCHESS has proven that...

To see the results, click here