PS166 Chess Club Handbook

Fall 2013

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THE CHESS TRADITION AT PS166 The chess program at PS 166 is a crown jewel at our school. Chess was first introduced into our school curriculum and offered as an afterschool class in 1999. Within a year, the handful of students who were in the afterschool chess class were dubbed the “Manhattan Knights” and given the iconic parent-designed logo of the New York skyline as their own. By 2003, the PS166 team had its first New York State champion, and the popularity of chess exploded at our school. In no time, the club began winning national, state and local scholastic titles. Now in its 14th year, the Manhattan Knights boast consistent top honors in all levels of tournament play. This past spring, our club took home three national titles at the U.S. Chess Federation’s Super-Nationals V Chess Championship in Nashville, TN, including our first national champion. The program has also produced several players who have been recognized on the Top 100 list of scholastic chess players during their tenure as Manhattan Knights. With an ever-growing club, we continue to strive as a standard of excellence and to build a legacy that makes us one of the premier school chess programs in the United States.

CURRENT CHESS OPPORTUNITIES AT PS166 Today, PS166 continues its strong tradition by offering multiple chess opportunities for its children. Why? It’s quite simple: chess promotes intellectual and social development. Children learn to focus, analyze logically, create plans and weigh the consequences of their actions – all in an environment that fosters friendship, respect and sportsmanship. At PS166, children can experience chess through different venues, including Chess in the Schools, Early Bird Chess, afterschool chess classes and the PS166 Manhattan Knights Chess Team.

Chess in the Schools Our school curriculum incorporates Chess in the Schools, a PTA-funded program, which teaches our 1st and 2nd graders how to play chess. This program teaches critical thinking skills and exposes every child to the traditional sport of chess.

Early Bird Chess Early Bird Chess sessions are open to students in grade K-5 who are on the chess team or in afterschool chess classes who are interested in practicing chess before the start of the school day. Early Bird Chess sessions are held

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twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:10-8:40 a.m. in the Community Room. The security desk has a list of eligible students who can participate in Early Bird Chess. Parents should check in children at the security desk and escort them to the Community Room. At the end of the practice session, the Early Bird Chess supervisor will escort children to their class line-ups. Children should be reminded that they are there to practice chess and must follow the rules of the chess club, which are set forth below. To the extent possible, children will be paired with others of comparable skill level.

Afterschool Chess Classes The PS166 Chess Club offers afterschool beginner and intermediate chess classes throughout the school year. These classes are available to any child in our school, from kindergarten through 5th grade. For the beginner class, no prior chess experience is necessary – these are introductory chess classes that teach the “nuts-and-bolts” of chess. Further information about these classes is distributed in the fall and winter, and is also available on the chess club website. Registration for these classes is done through ReCreate at the same time as registration for the general Afterschool Enrichment Program.

When your child has learned some beginning moves and strategies and knows how to checkmate an opponent, the coaches recommend participating in some of the free local chess tournaments to practice their new skill. Tournament registration will be sent intermittently. While participation in tournaments is encouraged, it is completely voluntary.

PS166 Manhattan Knights Chess Team The PS166 Manhattan Knights Chess Team offers additional training and coaching in tournament play. The club is open to ALL students who know basic chess skills that are determined by the coaches. In order to be on the Manhattan Knights Chess Team, students must commit to attending two 90-minute afterschool practices on Tuesdays and Fridays each week during the school year. They must also commit to playing in a minimum number of tournaments required by their section. If your child is not sure about their commitment to the chess team, we suggest continuing with the afterschool chess classes until they are ready. The Manhattan Knights Chess Team is divided by skill level into three sections: Novice, Under 1000 and Open. The coaches periodically assess players and move them to other groups as necessary.

Novice: The Novice section is for players who are “unrated” by the U.S. Chess Federation, or who have a USCF rating below 600. This

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section focuses on mastering fundamental chess strategies, learning chess notation and gaining experience in tournament play. Novice members must play in a minimum of one tournament every six weeks. Under 1000: The Under 1000 section is reserved for players with a USCF rating between 600-999. This group focuses on learning more advanced chess strategies. They must play in a minimum of one tournament every four weeks. Open: The Open section of the club is devoted to players with a USCF rating of over 1000. This group continues to learn more advanced chess strategies. They must play in a minimum of one tournament every four weeks.

Registration and payment of fees is done through ReCreate at the same time as registration for the general Afterschool Enrichment Program. Manhattan Knights are responsible for the full fee even if your child misses or attends only one practice session each week.

CHESS CLUB RULES The chess club rules set forth the behavior that is expected of your child during afterschool classes and Manhattan Knights team practices. Please review these rules with your child at the beginning of each registration period.

• Use kind words and be a good sport.

• Pay close attention to the coaches. Be quiet and don’t play with chess pieces while they are speaking.

• Raise your hand when you have a question, either during instruction or in the course of playing a game.

• Learn as much as you can while in the class.

• Be quiet during chess games – whisper only if necessary.

• Be respectful of other players. Do not touch their chess pieces and boards while they are playing. Do not tell them how to move their pieces unless they ask you to do so.

• Take good care of the chess board, pieces, clocks and classroom. Do not throw chess pieces.

• No roughhousing.

• Follow all of the usual school rules.

• Let the coach know if you need to leave the room for any reason.

• No electronic devices are allowed in the classroom. They will be confiscated if brought into the room and returned after class.

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• At the end of class time, help pick up chess board/pieces and help clean the room.

The coaches have a “three strike” policy to address behavior that violates these rules. A child will receive one strike if (s)he violates any of these rules during a class session. Three strikes in a class session will result in the child being removed from the practice room. Three “outs” during a trimester will result in a ban from the team for the rest of that trimester.

TOURNAMENT PLAY How do you know whether your child is ready to play in a chess tournament? Your child is ready to play in a tournament when (s)he knows the game well enough to checkmate an opponent. You do not need to be on the chess team in order to participate in tournaments. The most important criteria for playing in a tournament is your child’s desire to try it!

What is the Difference Between “Unrated” and “Rated” Play? Children new to chess typically start in the “unrated” or “rookie” section to practice their skills against other players who are just starting out as well. The focus is on learning how to develop beginning, middle and end game strategies, not on how well they are playing compared to others. Our novice players have benefitted immeasurably from the developmental forum afforded by unrated sections, and have gone on to win national team titles before progressing to the next level of tournament play. The next level of tournament play is based on a “rated” status. The U.S. Chess Federation (“USCF”) has a rating system that it uses to assess the players’ skill level. Ratings move up and down depending on your child’s wins and losses, and the rating of his/her opponent in each of those games. Students do not need to be rated to join the Manhattan Knights. Chess coaches will let your child know when to start playing in rated tournaments. To play in rated tournaments, your child needs to be a member of the USCF. You can register for a USCF scholastic membership online at http://www.uschess.org and you will receive a membership card in the mail. You will need the USCF ID number that is on the card to register for rated tournament play. You do not need to show the membership card at the tournaments. To find your child’s USCF ID number online, go to http://www.uschess.org, look at the left margin and click “Players & Ratings,” click “Player Rating Look Up” in the drop-down box, and enter your child’s name (last name, first name). The ID number is listed on the left.

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Players will have a “provisional” rating until they have played 25 games. Official ratings are updated when the USCF issues its “Rating Supplements.” Those supplements reflect the results from all tournaments reported by the first week of the previous month.

Are there different types of chess games? There are several different types of chess games, including traditional, “blitz” and “bughouse.” Our chess club’s focus is on traditional chess, although our members occasionally play ”blitz,” or speed chess. In blitz, each player has five minutes on their clock to checkmate their opponent. A player wins when (s)he is able to checkmate his/her opponent without running out of time on his/her clock. “Bughouse” chess is played on two chessboards by four players in teams of two, each player having 5 minutes on a chess clock. Normal chess rules apply, except that captured pieces on one board are passed on to the players of the other board, who then have the option of putting these pieces on their board. This is an extremely chaotic form of chess, which is best reserved for well-seasoned players.

What are chess tournaments like? Registration: Each school/organization runs their tournament slightly different (e.g., there may be different levels/sections, number of rounds, registration procedures, costs). Generally, you must register ahead of time for tournaments. For certain tournaments, you can email our parent coordinator, [Alan Rudt], who will register all of the participating club players. For others, you must register online or with the tournament organizer on the day of the tournament. Instructions are on the advertising flyer for each tournament. Tournament play is arranged by grade (e.g., K-3, K-6) and skill level (e.g., unrated and rated divisions, such as “Under 1000,” “Under 600”). Comparably ranked players are paired together to compete (e.g., “K-3 Unrated,” “K-5 Under 700”). This pairing is initially determined during the registration process. If tournament registration is through the club, our coaches will place you in the appropriate group. If you are registering individually, talk to one of our coaches if you are unsure of your child’s division. What to Bring: Tournaments provide chess boards, chess pieces and score sheets. Nevertheless, we recommend that you bring a chess set, clock and scoring book to tournaments. Our coaches encourage chess practice between rounds. Sign-In: Sign-in details are tournament-specific and are posted on the registration sheets. Typically, players arrive at the tournament and sign in with the tournament director anywhere from 30-60 minutes before the

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tournament starts. Tournament play usually begins at 10:00 a.m. and lasts all day, usually ending by 3:30 p.m. It is a full-day commitment. If you have a scheduling issue, it is often possible to take a “bye” for one of your games. By requesting a bye in advance, your child will not play the game, but will usually receive ½ point towards his/her final score. Team Room/Supervision: PS166 typically has a team room or a central area where the children meet for the duration of the tournament. Children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the entire tournament. PS166 parents often “kid-pool” for the day or part of the day with other parents, each agreeing to supervise children in their care. For major tournaments, our parent coordinator will email the names of the players attending to help with this process. “Pairings”: Section pairings are posted for each round of play, usually inside or outside the tournament room. Pairings are based on the Swiss system. The Swiss system was designed to accommodate many players competing in the same tournament and determines a clear winner even though the winner cannot play against everyone else in the tournament. Players who keep winning are matched together, thus reducing the number of players who continue to win. Also, no one can play the same player more than once and many tournaments avoid pairings from the same school. The pairings will list each child’s name and the opponent’s name, the assigned board number, and a B for black or a W for white. Tables are set up in a large room or several rooms, usually in rows and numbered. The child enters the game room and finds the board to which (s)he has been assigned. Parents may accompany their child, but they are not permitted to stay in the tournament room unless a designated space has been set aside for them. Most tournaments have general seating areas in a large hallway outside of the game room, cafeteria or auditorium where parents can wait for their child until (s)he is done playing. Parents can also wait in the team room. General Match Rules: Tournament play typically uses the “touch-move” rule: if you touch a piece, you must move that piece. Tournament directors are available to answer players’ questions during a round. If your child has a question about a rule during a game, (s)he should raise their hand before making another move. “Notating” the Game: Chess scorebooks/sheets are for players to “notate” their game by writing down in abbreviated form each of their moves, as well as those of their opponents. Notating chess moves helps players to think about their moves a bit more before they make them, provides a record for settling disputes, and is extremely useful for coaches to review the game afterwards and help players understand how they won or lost. Children who are new to tournament play are encouraged to notate their games in their own scorebooks or on score sheets provided at the tournament. Manhattan Knights team members are required to do so.

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Concluding the Game: When players agree on the result of their game, they raise their hands and report it to a tournament referee. The children then shake hands and reset the board for the next match. Win or lose, players must return to the team room with their notation book/sheet to review their games with one of our coaches. Scoring: When the entire round is finished, the tournament directors post individual and team standings for each section. Individual scoring is for each game played, with a win counting as 1 point, a loss as 0 points and a draw/tie/bye as ½ point. Team scores for each section are based on the cumulative number of points of the top four scorers. Any scoring discrepancies should be raised with the tournament director as soon as possible. Pairings for each subsequent round are also posted at this time. Down Time Between Rounds: Rounds typically are scheduled at 1½ hour intervals, with a short break for lunch. Individual games can last from mere minutes to the full 1½ hour, depending on the level of play. There is plenty of down time during which children can practice chess, do homework or simply play outside under adult supervision. The only limitation is that children may not play electronic games in the team room. Awards: Tournaments usually give trophies and/or medals to the top scoring individuals and teams. The number of trophies varies by tournament. The tournaments conclude with an “awards ceremony.” If there is a tie for first place, sometimes there may be a tiebreaker round to determine the winner; otherwise, established tiebreak methodologies are used.

What are the Popular Scholastic Tournaments?

The Manhattan Knights compete annually in several large scholastic tournaments. We like to have as many club members as possible play in the larger tournaments, including unrated beginners and more experienced rated players, as it is a great team-oriented experience.

♦ USCF National Elementary School Championship (K-6) will be held in Dallas, Texas from May 9-11, 2014. This tournament is for unrated and USCF rated players alike. The Manhattan Knights have enjoyed unprecedented individual and team success at Nationals for more than a decade, including our first National Champion in 2013! Details about this tournament will be distributed several months in advance.

♦ The Greater New York Scholastic Chess Championship is sponsored by the Kasparov Chess Foundation and will be held at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City on January 25-26, 2014. This tournament is for USCF rated players only. Similar to Nationals, the

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Manhattan Knights have achieved highest honors, including capturing first place on numerous occasions.

♦ New York City Mayor’s Cup will be held in May 3, 2014. All players can participate in this tournament, as it does not use ratings at all, either as a basis for divisions or pairing.

The chess club also participates in local tournaments as well. The following are tournaments for unrated and rated players alike:

♦ The Right Move sponsors free chess tournaments at Riverbank State

park on the first Sunday of every month. Visit https://chesstrm.org for a tournament schedule and registration information. These tournaments are especially ideal for players who are new to tournament play, as there is a large presence of unrated player who are similarly learning how to play the game.

♦ Chess in the Schools provides free scholastic chess tournaments

throughout the city. These tournaments are generally rated. Visit https://www.chessintheschools.org for a tournament schedule and registration information.

♦ Many local schools sponsor chess tournaments throughout the year,

including Hunter, Anderson, PS116, Lower Lab and PS6. Visit the following website for a comprehensive list of local scholastic chess tournaments for the 2013-2014 season: http://www.nychesskids.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=644&Itemid=265

OUR CHESS CLUB COACHES

Jonathan Corbblah. Coach Corbblah has been teaching the Manhattan Knights since 2002. He has coached our team to 11 National Championships -- including winning the K-6 u1000 division four out of the last five years -- as well as countless city and state championships. He also teaches chess to our 1st and 2nd graders on behalf of Chess in the Schools. Coach Corbblah is a National Chess

Master and has won numerous prestigious chess tournaments, including the u2100 Foxwoods Open, u1600 Continental Open and the u2000 World Open. Over the past 13 years, he has taught chess for various organizations, including Chess in the Schools, Harlem Children's Zone, USA Chess and the Learning Annex. In the New York City area, he has taught chess at Dalton, Browning, Columbia Grammar, and most recently at the Trinity School. He

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has also taught chess throughout the country and the world, most recently in Jamaica and South Africa. In his spare time, Coach Corbblah hosts and provides commentary for “America's Next Chess Star” and the “Extreme Chess Challenge.” He is also passionate about trivia, which he recently demonstrated as a contestant on “Jeopardy.”

Raul Marquez. Mr. Marquez has been coaching both the afterschool program and the Manhattan Knights team since 2006. He spearheads the Novice section of our club, and has led them to successive first or second place wins at Nationals from 2006 and running. He is an Ecuador National Master and International Chess Federation Master, and was an Ecuador National Chess Champion. He also coaches chess at PS75 and the Ascension School. Mr. Marquez offers chess camps during the summer and school holidays, and offers private instruction as well.

Jason Ciano. Mr. Ciano is new to our Manhattan Knights, and will be teaching our Open and Under 1000 sections. Mr. Ciano has over 26 years of experience in playing and coaching adults and children at the sport of chess. He is a National Chess Master and has won many renowned chess tournaments, including the U2000 World Open in 2011. He is also certified with FIDE as a National Instructor, and is a USCF-certified Chess Trainer. Mr. Ciano discovered his

passion for training in 1988, when he coached Lakes High School team to a 2nd place finish in the Chess Nationals. He continues that passion as the CEO and lead instructor for Ciano Chess, whose mission is to train students of any age to the level of “master” at the game of chess. Mr. Ciano is also an avid bridge player, having earned his International Master of Bridge title.

MANHATTAN KNIGHTS CHESS CLUB MERCHANDISE The Manhattan Knights have a variety of club merchandise that can be purchased. This includes the club t-shirt, sweatshirts, tote bags and the like. Information about them will be posted on the chess club website and will be emailed to club members as well. Orders are typically taken in September and January.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS Our program is only as strong as our parent participation. There are many ways to get involved in the chess club. Please consider volunteering for one

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or more of the activities below. If you are interested in volunteering, please let one of the chess parent coordinators know.

• Coordinate/Chaperone Group Transport to Tournaments.

• Attend/Chaperone Tournaments.

• Organize Chess Club Socials (picnics, group practices at homes, etc.).

• Merchandise Coordinator.

• Fundraising Coordinator.

• Newsletter: write about our team accomplishments a few times a year for the school newspaper.

• Chess Club Bulletin Board – Design/Update the bulletin board in the school’s foyer.

• Organize Chess Club End-of-Year Ceremony/Appreciation Gifts.

CHESS SUPPLIES The chess club provides all of the supplies for Early Bird, Afterschool and Manhattan Knights Chess Club practices. Nevertheless, children are encouraged to have basic materials to practice at home, with friends and between rounds at tournaments. These include:

• Chess Board: Vinyl roll-up board with 2.25” squares • Chess Pieces: Regulation 3.75” King (Single Weight) • Digital Chess Clock • Chess Scorebooks: Hard cover book or scholastic notebooks • Carry Bag: Any style

These supplies can be purchased at local chess stores and at many of the chess tournaments. The USCF store also offers a wide selection of these supplies. http://www.uscfsales.com CHESS RESOURCES There are many books and online programs that provide great instruction and practice for children. Many are available through the USCF’s online shop: http://www.uscfsales.com. We recommend the following: Chess Websites:

• Instructional Materials from Rock River Valley Chess -- http://rockfordchess.org/instruction/index.htm

• ChessKid -- http://www.chesskids.com/kidzone/index1.shtml • Internet Chess Club -- http://www.chessclub.com

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• ChessDryad: How to Play Chess for Beginners and Parents -- http://www.chessdryad.com/education/magictheater/index.htm

• NYCChessKids (Chess School of America) -- http://www.nychesskids.com

• Chess NYC -- http://www.nychesskids.com/ Software Programs:

• Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chester – Volume 1 • Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chester – Volume 2 • Chess Tactics for Beginners • Chess School for Beginners

Instructional Books:

• “Chess Tactics for Kids” • “How to Beat Your Dad at Chess” • Chess Fundamentals (Capablanca) • 64 Things You Need to Know in Chess. This is an adult beginner book

that is a useful resource for parents to learn techniques to teach to their children.

These books can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com. They can also be checked-out from our school library. Chess Camps:

• Many of our children participate in chess camps on days in which school is not in session. The chess club intermittently sends emails about various camps that are being offered during those times.