The thing I like most about chess is that it has been around for many years so most family members have played it, so you can play against them. It is also fun and is good for entertainment when you're bored. Many tactics are also learnt from chess, some are even useful in life. Playing in competitions also teaches you a lot of things, like team work (if you are working in a team) and many strategies. It's also fun playing in competitions because if you lose you can learn from your mistakes and from what the other person did. Mr Marsh also tells really bad jokes which are somehow fun. Grace (10) I like chess because of the pieces and how they move around the board. Also I like how quick it is to set it up. I also like Pirate Chess and Crusher chess. Simon (10) I like chess because it makes my brain think about hard challenges. It's also very fun working with Mr Marsh; he makes me laugh and he's very good at teaching chess. I like learning about the names of the pieces and my favourite piece is the Queen, because she's very powerful and she can move around the board, anywhere. I play chess at home. I sometimes win and I sometimes lose but I still really enjoy playing against other people. Ruby (10) Chess is really fun and a lot of people think it's simple but it's not, because you can get special moves like a fork and castling. In chess you can get tournaments and other similar thing to have a little more fun. Will (10) I like chess because it is one of my favourite board games and I like winning and going to the final. I'm proud of myself because I won most of my games and only lost twice. Thomas (10) I like chess because it's fun and relaxing and sometimes challenging. You learn how to be quiet and you don't get told off. It's the best board game ever. It's not that hard; it's really good for your knowledge. It's a time to do no work. Tabitha (10)
This week we are experimenting again, with a full series of CSC Training Days at a single school.
Park End Primary in Middlesbrough wanted to train every member of staff in the basics of chess. We agreed to the plan and started today. Here is a photographic record of our first busy day, in which we played a lot of mini-games, solved some very tricky 'Quest' problems and even had brave volunteers moving around the room just like chess pieces.
Will the next group be as good as the first, I wonder...?
Details of the next CSC Teesside Training Day are now available. Date: Wednesday 15 June 2016
Venue: Middlesbrough Community Learning Centre, Acklam Grange School, TS5 8PB
Time: 10.00 - 16.00
Bookings can be made on this page over at the Chess in Schools and Communities website. A report on the 2015 event can be found here. CSC courses are aimed at teachers, teaching assistants, parents and anyone involved in school chess.
No teaching or chess playing experience is required to attend.
The Barclaycard Chess Volunteers are enjoying their sessions in our schools. Here we see Mr Profitt and Mr Shelton in action at Brambles Primary Academy. Both are long-term supporters of local chess, having spent many sessions at Brambles in previous years.
Mr Shelton was featured in the Barclaycard Yes2Chess promotional video, shot partly at Brambles in 2014.
I love to do chess because it is peaceful, calm and fun. There's so many combinations of chess I like. I do chess often because it is challenging in all sort of ways. Erica (10) I like chess because of the skills and ether concentration it takes. I also like it because it is different to other board games. Lucy (10) I like chess because it's fun and I like to have a challenge. Also most of my family can play and I like to play because it's always quiet so I can relax at the same time. But most of all I like to play with my friends to see how good they are and to challenge them. I also like our chess teacher Mr Marsh as he's really funny!! Ashton (10) What I enjoy in chess is that you can really play chess and also imagine what it will really be like on a real battlefield, or near a castle. Also the best thing about chess is it makes you concentrate a lot. Harrison (10) I like chess because it is a way to express your mind, because there are a few other games like Pirate Chess and Lightning Chess. I also like that it's up to yourself what move you do when it's your go. I also like the look of the pieces and the names of them. My favourite piece is either the knight or the pawn. An amazing thing about chess is that you can make your own game and no-one will ever have the same idea as your own game. Lienna (9) I like chess because it's a tactical, thinking game and you're kind of using maths for the coordinates. It's also a kind of waiting game. Chess is fun because it's like a battle between Black and White. It's also fun because you can be better than someone else but the person that's not as good can still win. Fimlay (9) I like chess because it is very interesting and it gets my brain working as it should. I also like chess because our chess teacher, Mr Marsh, is very funny and tells some good jokes. My favourite part in chess is playing my friends because if I lose they can help me by their actions in the winning game. My best piece in chess is the queen because it moves in various ways. Jessie (9)
The return of our series collating the spontaneous chess thoughts of our juniors... I like chess because it is great fun and I have learnt a lot about it. Now I know what all of the pieces are called; there are pawns, queens, kings, knights, rooks and bishops. I also like chess because Mr Marsh is very funny, kind and helpful if I'm stuck on a move. Jasmine (10) The best thing I like about chess is all the quizzes that we do in the morning because they are hard and fun to do. We also learn new moves. I liked the competition because we had to concentrate and it was great fun. Jenny (10) What I like about chess are the tactics like skewers and forks. It's real fun and I wish we had it every day. My favourite move is pawn promotion. Zack (10) I like chess because it's a very competitive game and nearly all my relatives play it or have played it. It is also a very popular game amongst family and friends. Another reason I like chess is that most of my friends can play, so we can play together. Ruby (10) I enjoy chess because I found Mr Marsh a lot of fun and he always cracks me up. I also find chess fun because I like to see my opponent's moves. I like to find new tactics and moves. It also helps bond with your friends. PS: Please tell Mr Marsh to stop with his jokes. Caleb (10) I like chess because it helps me learn coordinates and understand them better. It is also a lot of fun. Chess has also got me socialising with my family a lot more. I've also been able to get more confidence in my speaking for my shows because I've been teaching my family to play chess. Faye (10) I like chess because my brother, Dad and Granddad play it so I try to play against them. I also like it because you can have so many different type of sets. I like my little chess set. To play chess you need to be strong-minded, a strategist and most of all determined. Chess can be hard but if you lose it will help you get better. Ella (10)
