Chess 1000 Online Ladder

ALERT: 12/22/23 ONLINE TOURNAMENT IS CANCELLED

A new climb for 1000 or 1500. This is your opportunity to start or continue the journey on the Chess rating ladders.

Participants will face opponents from different states without any location constraints.

4 Online Games on Lichess

Time Control: 15 + 10 (15 minutes for each side, 10 second increment after each move); tournament will last approximately 60-90 minutes based on sections

Sections: Open, U800 based on USCF Online Quick rating.

Start Time: Friday (12/22) 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT;

Entry Fee: $25

REGISTRATION LINK

Games will be reviewed by FM Xiao Cheng on Zoom immediately after the tournament.

Questions: xiaochengchess@gmail.com

Chess 1000 U400 Ladder

New tournament players ALERT! A tournament specifically designed for scholastic players who are new to tournament chess.

U400 is a beginner friendly section, every player has a winning chance in each game.

4 Online Games on Lichess

Time Control: 10 + 5 (10 minutes for each side, 5 second increment after each move)

Start Time: 9:10pm ET/6:10pm PT; the tournament will last 45-60 minutes

Entry Fee: $20

Registration Link

Games will be reviewed with students on Zoom.

Questions: xiaochengchess@gmail.com

Why playing is the ONLY way to improvement

In Theory There Is No Difference Between Theory and Practice, In Practice There Is

The famous Yogi Berra quote couldn’t be more true for chess improvements.

I remember being a kid in China and my coach always telling me to train if I wanted to improve chess.

That was in the 1990’s, and there was not many options to play.

Today we live in a completely different world. Playing games online and in person is often the most important factor for a rewarding chess journey.

While training is necessary – it turns out that PLAYING rated games is actually the best way to get better.

Let me explain why.

Playing a rated game and seeing opponent’s clock ticking while you’re attacking is a thrilling experience. And no amount of lessons or puzzles will ever replicate that adrenaline.

Real game actions are how kids learn. They experiment, make mistakes and figure out ways to adjust.

I have seen many kids answer questions correctly during class, but make the exact mistake when they play a game.

Why does that happen? Lack of practical experiences.

When kids play, they learn faster and retain more because it engages more of their senses and emotions. They’re having fun, it encourages training and improvement.

Training should follow playing.

So if you want your kids to get better at chess – stop training without playing. Start have them playing in rated games. You’ll be amazed at the results.

What I Learned From Teaching Last Week

Jan. 16, 2022

There are 100s of chess concepts. Mastering each requires multiple games and reflections.

What transpires is often we learn one pattern, and then a previous pattern took a back seat.

Unintended Discovery: I set up the following position as a mini-game practice tournament in a class.

The goal was to help students practice noticing the knight under attack from the queen or the rook.

What happened instead was all of them took care of the knight defense safely. But many of them missed back rank mate after castling.

The cycle of improvement continues. Experiences will pick up all of the patterns and connect the dots between them.