By Bethany Parker
In late February two of my wild men committed to sit still and play chess for 60 minutes each Tuesday afternoon for 12 weeks. The oldest has been a chess junky since just moments after birth so I wasn’t at all surprised by this, but with the youngest child — my soccer/basketball/baseball/swimming/trampoline jumping/martial arts superstar — I was skeptical. I doubted he could sit for even half that time, and while his intense competitive streak works to his advantage on the soccer field, he often crumbles around a board game when things don’t quite go his way. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Dr. G’s ChessWorks has just begun its instructional chess program and we weren’t quite sure what to expect. It’s a very low key, no-pressure environment. Each of my children are in their own class. They are at different playing levels and because the classes are small this session, the more introductory level class for my younger child was not at all appropriate for my 14-year-old. It’s made for a bit more driving, but my oldest is currently working with an older student during his class time and they are far better suited for each other than the younger students would have been.
The cost of the class includes a chess workbook – these things really exist and are incredibly cool – and watching my sons work through their books has been a lot of fun. They play together at home occasionally and my oldest will help his younger brother through new concepts or moves or with difficult sections in the workbook. The instructor has a great passion for the game of chess and genuinely enjoys what she’s doing. That transfers to the students, who leave the class talking all things knights, rooks, bishops and pawns and are quite confident in their ability to continue learning. They are learning the game, the strategy, skill, tactics and technique, and they are also learning to have fun while they play. There is no pressure to be better than someone else, only to improve themselves.
Classes currently are held in the conference center at Lincoln Square Mall and parents can stay or not during the class. My sons and I both prefer that I not stay, so I use that hour to do super fun mom things, like grocery shop or shuttle one of my other kids to a different activity. It’s also a good time to spend a few dollars (or more) on a bite to eat in the mall. We are pleased with our first time experience and will be back!